Festival fun on Rochdale canal

Pictured (front) are Natalie McCarrick with her children April (5), Dylan (1) and Michael (3), who became pirates on a canal boat by the Rose of Lancaster pub in Chadderton.

SCORES of Oldhamers enjoyed a weekend by the waterside as the Rochdale canal festival drew to a close.

A series of activities has been taking place along the length of the 32-mile canal, which runs from the centre of Manchester through Oldham and Rochdale to Sowerby Bridge.

Activities including boat trips, a bouncy castle, bike rides, live music and craft stalls have all been on offer as part of the week-long festival, before the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Jim McCardle, dropped by in a narrowboat to mark the close of the event yesterday. The festival is part of a wider programme of improvements to the canal area being developed by the Rochdale Canal Partnership, which comprises local councils, British Waterways and the Waterways Trust.