Could it have been part of the Centenary celebrations of the MSC, Ian? I had the pleasure of being involved with a play put on in Salford Quays for that event in 1994 - Possibly around the sane tine you are thinking of. The only 'tales from the towpath' I can find is about the Rochdale canal but maybe a search of the MSC centenary may help more?

Cheers

Dave