Janet Richardson

Character of the cut

by

Janet Richardson

–

June 16, 2017

Elizabeth Rogers meets waterways officer Tony Forster, who lives and breathes boats for work, rest and play. “I AM certainly a river person, I am a river man,” says Tony Forster. Both his working life and his leisure time keep him deeply involved with boats. As a waterways officer of the Environment Agency his daily…
Continue reading »
Hidden Nature – A Voyage of Discovery by Alys Fowler

by

Janet Richardson

–

May 30, 2017

The healing power of the outdoors Reviewer: Sarah Palmer I’VE been a fan of Alys Fowler’s approach to gardening for some time: her embrace of non-conventional methods makes a refreshing change to the rather strait-laced approach of some gardening writers. So, I was rather intrigued to learn that she was about to release a book…
Continue reading »
London’s Strangest: The Thames

by

Janet Richardson

–

May 30, 2017

Odd happenings along the River Thames Reviewer: Elizabeth Rogers A COLLECTION of ‘extraordinary but true’ stories has been compiled by Iain Spragg in London’s Strangest: The Thames – the latest in the ‘Strangest Tales’ series. All relating to incidents along the River Thames, they come in a surprisingly slim and compact volume in which are…
Continue reading »
Dog walking on the canals

by

Janet Richardson

–

May 23, 2017

WHEN it comes to stretching all four legs, the canal is a canine’s best friend. Paula Boyden, deputy veterinary director at the Dogs Trust says: “Many dog owners enjoy taking their dogs for walks along the canals and rivers because it is generally quite quiet. Many city-dwellers find the peaceful nature of the waterways a wonderful…
Continue reading »
The Canal Pioneers by Anthony Burton

by

Janet Richardson

–

May 5, 2017

Canal construction from 2500 BC to the early 20th century Reviewer: Robert Davies ANTHONY Burton is a well-known author and broadcaster and we reviewed the fifth edition of his first book, The Canal Builders, just over 12 months ago. This was written in 1972 and since then he has penned more than 70 books, specialising…
Continue reading »
The Mid-Shannon Waterway – A pictorial book of designated and tranquil moorings by Donal Boland

by

Janet Richardson

–

May 4, 2017

The Mid-Shannon Waterway – a new book for intrepid boaters Reviewer: Alison Alderton I FIRST met Donal Boland at a Shannon Boat Rally which he attended in his Humber barge, the James and Mary. Having recently come to Ireland from the waterways of the Midlands I was immediately attracted to the boat, one of the former…
Continue reading »
Panorama of the Thames. A Riverside View of Georgian London

by

Janet Richardson

–

May 3, 2017

A riverside view of Georgian London Reviewer: Elizabeth Rogers FOR any book lover looking for a purposeful use of any Christmas gift book tokens – or any lover of books – a very good choice would be this highly impressive publication which would grace any coffee table. It is composed of a reproduction of the…
Continue reading »
The Wrong Way Round by Rob Pearson

by

Janet Richardson

–

May 3, 2017

Going the wrong way round Reviewer: Les Heath AN INCREASING number of boaters are now using blogs on social media to keep friends in the picture with regard to their cruising adventures. But boater Rob Pearson and his wife Lesley have taken the art a step further with a 163-page ‘super blog’ on the trials…
Continue reading »
The Turf

by

Janet Richardson

–

April 7, 2017

A Tudor gem FEW places on earth can feel solitary at the same time as welcoming people. There’s a secret spot in Devon that attracts hordes every year for the rare thrill of that perfect moment. The Turf is a honeypot site where a  canal wrestles with nature, as the land  ends and the sea…
Continue reading »
New plastic reinforced trims and seals

by

Janet Richardson

–

March 30, 2017

SEALS + Direct Ltd, a leading UK supplier to the marine industry of rubber and PVC seals and trims, has just launched a new range of plastic reinforced clip-on edge trims/seals. These complement their existing range of steel reinforced sections, but have beneficial advantages, especially when used in  wet environments. The new trims use a…
Continue reading »
From cars to canal boats

by

Janet Richardson

–

March 21, 2017

Phil Pickin meets the team at the Bickerstaffe Boat Company. PEOPLE come to boating in some unusual ways and none more unorthodox than husband and wife team Kevin and Susan Kenny who, after spending more than 25 years in the automotive industry, packed it all in to build narrowboats. Boat owners already, they didn’t need…
Continue reading »
Bridgewater Canal Through Time

by

Janet Richardson

–

March 21, 2017

A series of locations on the Bridgewater Canal Reviewer: Harry Arnold A COVER taster on the book Bridgewater Canal Through Time states ‘The No.1 Best Selling Colour Local History Series’ so the format of matching historical and current photographs of an individual locality is undoubtedly popular. The author is often a local enthusiastic collector of…
Continue reading »
Hints & Tips for Life With Your Feet Under Water by Roger Distill

by

Janet Richardson

–

March 20, 2017

A mine of information for boaters Reviewer: Les Heath MANY books have been written giving advice to newcomers on the waterways and most contain vital information for those embarking on their first canal adventure. But author Roger Distill has taken it a step further with his new e-book Hints and Tips for Life With Your…
Continue reading »
What’s in the bottom of your fuel tank?

by

Janet Richardson

–

February 28, 2017

THIS winter has seen high levels of condensation and with fuel tanks that have not been kept full, created the happiest environment for the diesel bug – water. Each spore reproduces 260,000 times every six hours and dies within 48 hours. As it decomposes it gels, blocking the in-line filters and will cause even worse…
Continue reading »