The Tragic Roundabout band at the Angel canal festival

THE towpath of the Regent’s Canal was packed with thousands of revellers enjoying the annual Angel canal festival on Sunday.

It was the first time in the festival’s 30-year history that it has been taken over by the Canal and River Trust (CRT) charity, which runs the waterways.

Roger Squires, from the St Pancras Cruising Club, who was compering throughout the day, said: “The CRT seem to be doing a grand job. The organising team had done it for 20 years and we are getting old.

“The CRT have a large number of volunteers and it seemed sensible that they should take over responsibility.”

Luke Guildford opened up his Record Deck floating store for the festival

Stalls, games and live music took over the towpath, the Graham Street Park and Basin Moorings, the City Road Basin and Danbury Street and Graham Street.

Somwar Ahmed, the CRT’s boating manager for London and the south-east region, said they had been working alongside the previous festival management team, who were volunteers at this year’s event.

Another debut was floating trade boats, including a record store and a pet shop for dogs.

Luke Guildford, from The Record Deck, said: “I think it’s great, it’s always a busy day.”

Sandra Willis running The Doggie Boat floating store

Angel Day was started in the 1980s by the late Crystal Hale as a fundraiser for the narrowboat Angel. The boat is used to give inner-city children trips to the countryside.