A major contributor to the commercial success of IWA festivals
EVERYONE who knew Jerry Sanders recognised he was a one- off. His uniquely mischievous sense of humour, combined with idiosyncratic ideas and a determination to get things done, suggests they broke the mould after Jerry was formed.
His friends loved him for his eccentricities and his sheer dogged determination to do things his way.
When Jerry moved up to Staffordshire in the early 1990s he was already involved with waterways through boat ownership and in volunteering with the Wilts & Berks Canal restoration. He soon joined IWA Lichfield Branch, becoming secretary in 1995 and vice-chairman from 1997 to 2002.
After looking after sales for a while in 2001-03 and membership in 2006 he returned to the deputy chairman role from 200608, before retiring to devote more time to what had become his main interest in IWA, the commercial side of festivals.
Others will be better able to document Jerry’s major contribution over many years to the commercial success of many national waterways festivals and to Canalway Cavalcade. His first involvement with the commercial side of IWA festivals was at Windmill End in 1996. As a Londoner originally, Jerry also had a particular commitment to Cavalcade which presents unique challenges of a constricted site and massive public attendances.
That it adapted to ever more onerous health & safety and other changes and not only survived but prospered, has been in no small part down to Jerry’s commitment to working constructively with the traders and others to keep the show on the road. Typically, he was working on Cavalcade right up to his final illness.
Another of Jerry’s passions was historic buildings, and after looking at several possibilities when he moved to Staffordshire he settled in Wharf House, overlooking the Trent & Mersey Canal and with a convenient mooring. Restoring and adapting his section of this imposing building with its listed building status was an ongoing challenge that he typically relished as he put his own distinctive ideas into its interior.
Setting out from Wharf House, Jerry’s boating activities, first on Rosie and later on Josephine, were often routed around festivals and Cavalcade, with regular annual voyages down to London and back, sometimes via Crick and often involving friends as crewmates.
Early voyages were with Sandra and later ones with Helen and we send condolences to them and to all who have loved Jerry and counted his friendship as a privilege.