I only recently became aware of this Mikron Theatre piece from a 1973 edition of the BBC arts programme, Omnibus.  It is a perfect evocation of the way we were, capturing a time and place well beyond the confines of the canal system.  My first trip on a narrowboat was along the Grand Union in 1976 during that long hot never-ending English summer – where have all those summers gone.  From then on a trip to see the Mikron Theatre became a fairly regular event but one which has fallen off the calendar since moving to Northumberland.  If earlier residents of the neighbouring Beaufront Castle had not objected so strongly there might have been a Newcastle – Hexham – Maryport canal and the Mikron Theatre could have appeared at our local, The Rat – “not in my backyard” has a long history.

This nostalgia trip has had me digging through some old 35mm negatives.  These pictures are from one of their productions in the mid-1980s at The Wharf Inn, Congleton.  Does anyone recognise the show and/or the participants: