Charles Miller speaking about the 1st Nantwich Christmas Float
Tue, Mar 28th 2017 at 12:45 pm - 2:15 pm
Stewards:- Lead :-Herbert Rowsell 2nd :- Tony Hoy Meeting Report
Raffle Phil Pinnington
Charles Miller spoke about the First Nantwich Christmas Float.
It was in 1972 that RC Nantwich first developed its Christmas float campaign.The idea was prompted by the donation of RC Crewe’s old float to the Club, and their poaching of Nantwich donors!
Unfortunately, much to everyone’s surprise, the float was both unroadworthy and a death-trap.The chassis was split, the wiring dangerous and it only had one brake, amongst a catalogue of other faults.However, Charles, with help, refurbished it, and the float continued to be in use for at least another 10 years!
Anecdotes related to the newly renovated carriage include:
·The exploding petrol can.The new generator (required for the sound system and lights) needed topping up with petrol half way round the collection route.On this particular night, after the refill, the plastic container still half full of petrol was placed close to the exhaust of the towing vehicle.After a while, it was noted that the container had swollen to twice its original size! In a moment of quick thinking, the can was tossed into the street whereupon the cap blew off and a fifteen-foot stream of petrol was released into the air!!
·Following an encounter with a police officer in South Crofts, who insisted that the collection be halted as the float’s warning amber beacon was too low, one of our members, a solicitor, threatened to expose his intransigence by publicising it in the next week’s Nantwich Chronicle.The collection was allowed to continue!
·One year, a member playing Santa, who had his beard pulled down to drink a glass of sherry, was discovered by child, who ran off in tears.A cruel way to discover that Father Christmas isn’t real!
We have to be grateful that our current float is a Rolls Royce by comparison with its predecessor!!
Herbert Rowsell gave a vote of thanks to Charles and included one or two of his own memories of the characters, who made an evening collecting for the local charities, such an enjoyable experience.
Tony Hoy
