Waterway Minister meets amazing 25ft fish

Alun Michael MP, the Waterways Minister, was confronted with a 25ft fish made from recycled washing machines on a recent visit to Gloucester Docks.

He was taking part in the Water Racket Fun Day, organised by WoW - the Wild Over Waterways project for children. Over 2000 people came along to the event, the finale of a fortnight of children's workshops and activities in which 100 local kids took part.

In addition to taking part in musical workshops, the children had decorated scales for attachment to Water Racket’s mascot, the Giant Junk Guzzler - a 25ft floating fish created from hammered out washing machine drums and reclaimed copper piping. The musical, whistling Guzzler, which spouts coloured smoke and jets of water, was the floating focus of the Gloucester event.

The Minister got into the swing of the event by making a foghorn, playing with the junk music band, and even learning how to lay bricks at the hands of Mike Palmer, Chairman of the Waterway Recovery Group - the volunteers' organisation which rebuilds canals across Britain.

WoW organisers are now planning two more 'Water Racket' events for next year. There will also be a wide range of WoW activities at the National Waterways Festival over the August Bank Holiday. This year's festival takes place at Beale Park, in Pangbourne, near Reading, on the River Thames.