In 1966 three Scout groups, BARDON, MARKFIELD and IBSTOCK got together for a trip on the Canals. They booked four boats from WILLOW WREN CRUISES at Rugby Wharf. The boats were three camper boats, old canvas covered working narrow boats, cleaned out and fitted with camper beds, and one more luxurious 'Flagship' more akin to modern hire boats.The first trip was from Rugby Wharf down to Leighton Buzzard on the GRAND UNION CANAL and return back to Rugby Wharf. The trip was a complete success and many anecdotes and tales are told of the mishaps that befell the crew on that first cruise - first crash- first ducking etc. and that set the standard and agenda for all subsequent cruises.
After that first cruise the idea of a barge club was conceived and four members formulated the rules and regulations of the
Order of Officers of the Grand Union Fleet.
Membership cards were printed and members were invited to join and each was issued with a navel officers rank and a club tie.
A headquarters was required and a local butcher offered the use of a loft in one of his out buildings, this became the first "BRIDGE"
In 1969 the same groups undertook the second cruise, again on WILLOW WREN Boats this time going to Aynho (just past Banbury) on the OXFORD CANAL.
From this point on the cruises were all designated OOGUF cruises and all attending crew became OOGUF members. The club flourished and monthly meetings were well attended. The meetings were diverse and included speaker nights, visits, skittles and family cruises.
Annual dinners were held and it became the tradition to present annual awards to members who had performed some outstanding feat during the previous year. Promotions in rank were also announced on these occasions.
The club was very popular for many years and during the Seventies two cruises took place every year, a Spring cruise leaving from Kilworth Narrow boats in 1973-75 moving on to Great Haywood from 1976 on, and a September cruise still leaving from Rugby Wharf, finally amalgamating to just the Spring cruise in 1979.
In the early Eighties the club entered a slightly dormant period, and the use of the bridge was given up. The number of crew available for the Spring cruise diminished and new members were recruited to maintain a crew. In 1989 a new imputus was found and membership picked up as a new BRIDGE was found and original members returned. Monthly meetings still take place and the annual dinner is well attended. The awards were relaunched in 1995 and have proved as successful as in earlier days. The Spring cruise is now fully booked with a waiting list of crew wishing to attend, to the extent that sometimes some only come for part of the week with a change of crew members mid week.
