I WOULD like to congratulate all the hard-working people who made the Arts Barge such a success during the Rivers Festival.

The chosen mooring, between the Bonding Warehouse and Skeldergate Bridge, was ideal, with a large outside area for sitting out with friends and having a drink or a cup of coffee.

The many activities and events ranged from children’s storytelling to afternoon jazz to a Latin America dance night to drama productions. The Arts Barge Project plan to have the Arts Barge in York on a permanent basis.

We, in the North Riding Branch of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), would like to endorse this, and ask City of York Council and Yorkboat (who lease the mooring next to the Bonding Warehouse) to help facilitate a permanent mooring.

Also the Lottery, and other arts organisation funders, such as the Arts Council, should look at funding the project long term, so that they can acquire a suitable barge soon on which to base the project.

Congratulations to everyone concerned.

Tony Martin, Chair North Riding Branch (IWA), Clarence Street, York.