CANAL Day in Banbury with brightly coloured narrow boats polished to perfection has become a must-attend occasion for thousands in north Oxfordshire and beyond.

It improves by the year and the sun certainly brought out the punters. I had bought a tasty tray of Thai food from one stall and was enjoying tucking into the noodles et al, when three young women and a two-year-old little girl-in-arms approached.

“Where did you buy that?” asked one of the three. Directions took a minute to explain and I was conscious the toddler was eyeing my food with mouth-watering interest. In fact she made a move to help herself, earning a rebuke from her mum.

Springing to the toddler’s defence in typical grandparent fashion, I asked mum if she objected to my loading a fork with some noodles.

She didn’t, but persisted with her needless apologies. I steered the food in the direction of an open mouth. Eyes sparkled and my dining companion soon polished off those noodles. A re-loaded fork met the same fate. I had made a new chum. A delightful interlude on a delightful day. Organisers were rightly praised, but one woman, possibly in her early 30s, allowed her enthusiasm to run riot. “It’s just like Venice,” she said excitedly, a charming smile across her still youthful face. This was followed by a deep sigh as she recalled a visit to that famous city.

True there was water – in the canal. And boats upon it – narrow boats and the occasional canoe. But the unattractive bridge linking the two parts of the museum is hardly the Bridge of Sighs, while the General Foods Social Club could never be mistaken for the Doge’s Palace.

The open areaoutside the large canal-side doors of the Castle Quay Shopping Centre, adorned by an inflatable slide, a kiddies’ roundabout and a burger van couldn’t be compared with St Mark’s Square.

PEAR Tree park-and-ride was not its usual packed self on Tuesday morning. I reckon the re-imposition of a parking fee was prompting a minor boycott. Only time will tell how long it will last.

Now motorists using the site have to park up and collect a ticket from one of two machines that stand alongside the shelter. These are fiddly contraptions that turn even the nimblest of fingers into clumsy digits as you punch in your car’s registration number before inserting payment – no change given, another crafty ploy. What puzzles me is that the issued ticket is not required to be displayed on the vehicle, so how do the powers check who has paid and who hasn’t?