THIS year’s St Richard’s Canal Festival marked the 45th anniversary of the start of the restoration of the Droitwich canals.

The Bank Holiday festival kicked off on Saturday with a parade through the town led by Reverend Nigel Byard, standing in for Richard de Wyche, the once Bishop of Chichester.

St Richard was born around 1197 near Droitwich and legend has it he blessed the town’s brine springs after they had dried up, causing the brine to flow again.

Held at Vines Park, the festival is organised by Worcester-Birmingham & Droitwich Canals Society, with the help of the town and district council and other groups.

Addressing the crowds as the parade came to a halt in the park at around 10.30am, Droitwich mayor Shaun Best thanked Probus 87 Club for its support in organising the event.

Looking up at the bright sunshine, he said: “I’d like to thank St Richard for that.

“We haven’t seen that for a long time and it just goes to prove that my old mother wasn’t lying to me for 67 years – there is a sun up there.

“Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the day, God bless and help yourselves,” he added.

Sarah Beauchamp, who runs the tombola for Droitwich Waterways Pamela May Trust as well as a canal boat trip at the festival, said she was delighted with the unexpected weather.

Referring to the boat, she said: “We’re trying to raise money to buy a replacement because she’s 25 years old and starting to show her age a little bit. So, we’re trying to raise in the region £100,000 to buy a new boat. We’re aiming to get the boat and launch her next spring.”

Organ grinder Sheila Searle was raising money for homeless and housing charity Shelter.

She said she hopes that a number of hand-cranked street organs, like hers, could be bought to allow for homeless people to raise money by making music.

“Instead of having to stand on the streets and ask for money, they can play these and make everybody happy,” she said.

“It’s just about ensuring people can find some way of getting off the streets. If music like this can be integrated in some way, that would be ideal.”

There was also plenty of food and drink available, as well as an array of stalls selling souvenirs, and other stands representing charities.