Tim Coghlan tells the story of this year’s remarkable event – which, like so many previous OwnerShips Boat Shows, seems to survive all known winter perils
For the last three years in a row, it looked like Lady Luck had gone on holiday to somewhere warmer, leaving the OwnerShips Boat Show to face the full fury of the English winter. This was after 15 years of holding the event at Braunston Marina, in a seemingly unstoppable succession mild ones. In 2008, the event was preceded by ferocious gales and driving rain that nearly stopped the marquees going up. Then in 2009 the snow arrived on the night of the Wednesday before, and it dunked down, bringing the Midlands almost to a halt. The marquee lorry was due on the Thursday, but hardly got out of Peterborough before getting stuck on the A14. Everyone wondered if that was it. Another attempt was made on the Friday, and they got through and erected the tent on a base of four inches of snow. OwnerShips, it transpired, had chosen what was later officially recorded as the worst winterweekend in 20 years, with children seeing real snow for the first time in their lives.