Gloucester Tall Ships Festival 2007

26 to 29 October – The inaugural Gloucester Tall Ships Festival at Gloucester Docks promises to be a weekend spectacular for the whole family, with visitors flocking from across Gloucestershire for the very special event.

Only 100 years ago and a visit to Gloucester Docks would have seen dozens of tall ships going about their daily business, with crews busy making preparations before setting off on new voyages and new adventures. Come this school half term and the same location – which is today one of Gloucester’s most popular attractions – will be transformed to give visitors from across Gloucestershire and beyond a taste of the sights and sounds of the docks as it once was.

From Friday 26 to Monday 29 October a host of activities are scheduled for the Gloucester Tall Ships Festival 2007 – with a number of magnificent tall ships making a special appearance for the event, a selection of other boats in attendance, family entertainment, guided walks, boat trips and stages complete with live entertainment. The organisers also they have a few surprises in store for what already promises to be a not-to-be missed festival.

Tall ships scheduled so far for the Gloucester Tall Ships Festival 2007 include The Earl of Pembroke – built in Sweden in 1948 having traded timber in the Baltic and British East Coast until being laid up in Denmark in 1974; Phoenix – built in Denmark in 1929 as an evangelical mission schooner before working as a cargo ship; and St Ruth – built in Sweden in 1914 before embarking on a life as a long-standing Baltic cargo ship.

The full schedule for the Gloucester Tall Ships Festival 2007 is as follows:

Friday 26 October 2007

The first day of the festival will kick off with ‘A Parade of Sail’ and the arrival of the tall ships as they follow the historic trading route along the River Severn to Gloucester Docks.

During the evening the special ‘Severn Bore at night’ event will be showing festival goers the famous Severn Bore as it thunders through Gloucester in the darkness of the autumn mists – with a scheduled gentle stroll across the wetland nature reserve of Alney Island to the lower parting where the Severn splits into two channels. Wrap-up warm and don’t don your flip flops. The tour starts at Gloucester Docks on the Quay outside North Warehouse at 8.45pm.

Saturday 27 October 2007

On the Saturday the scheduled ‘Shore Leave’ will see a day and evening of live entertainment and events on board the ships and along the dockside. The line-up of entertainment will include live drama, music, cinema, comedy, boat trips, guided tours, street entertainment, living history, storytelling and more family fun.

During the evening, and one of the Gloucester Tall Ships Festival 2007 highlights, will see the ships’ sails and rigging illuminated, in what is expected to be a feast for the senses with live music playing throughout the evening.

Sunday 28 October 2007

A more relaxing line-up of events are fittingly scheduled for the Sunday, with visitors being able to take in the romantic warehouse buildings, tall ships and dockside with a glimpse into Gloucester Docks’ past.

Monday 29 October 2007

While the tall ships will sadly be leaving the city on the Monday, don’t miss the chance to see them depart Gloucester Docks in Britain’s most inland port during the scheduled ‘Sail Away’ event.

The SoGlos.com team for one won’t be missing what promises to be a great – and hopefully annual – addition to Gloucester’s cultural calendar.

Event: Gloucester Tall Ships Festival 2007
Venue: Gloucester Docks
Dates: Friday 26 to Monday 29 October 2007
Times: Vary per specific event.
Tickets: There is no admission fee for the festival but some activities will require tickets to be purchased. Contact Gloucester Tourist Information Centre on (01452) 396572 for more information.

SoGlos.com
27 September 2007