Features

Britain’s Historic Ships

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Janet Richardson

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June 28, 2017

Dip in these pages to expand your horizons Reviewer: Harry Arnold BRITAIN’S Historic Ships is another lavishly produced and illustrated volume from Bloomsbury in what might be described as a similar style and page-size format as Canals Of Britain. Not as weighty, but also not as expensive; equally attractive though. Perhaps if you are just…
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Towing Path Tales by Beatrice Holloway

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Janet Richardson

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June 28, 2017

Towpath tales for children Reviewer: Kathryn Smith AN ITINERANT lifestyle, new faces and places every day and evenings spent around a roaring stove; the link between boats and storytelling feels utterly intuitive. Hillingdon Narrowboats Association clearly thought so when it commissioned Beatrice Holloway to be their resident children’s storyteller, a project from which this book…
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Canals Of Britain by Stuart Fisher

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Janet Richardson

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June 28, 2017

A detailed overview of Britain’s waterway network Reviewer: Harry Arnold THERE are a number of general guides to Britain’s waterways and this is one of the better ones. Subtitled ‘A Comprehensive Guide’, Canals of Britain by Stuart Fisher is indeed that, in both excellently researched content and a mass of illustrations. A previous edition has…
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Light touch in Falkirk Tunnel

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Janet Richardson

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June 22, 2017

By Hugh Dougherty THEY’VE taken a light touch to illuminating the 690-yard-long Falkirk Tunnel, blasted through solid rock by navvies building the Union Canal. Scottish Canals engineers and contractors have completed a new lighting scheme, making the best use of today’s technology. That’s in sharp contrast to the oil lamps which originally lit up Scotland’s…
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How to test your batteries and use a multi-meter

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Janet Richardson

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June 16, 2017

TESTING battery voltage is not something the everyday boat owner would undertake, however, being able to test your own batteries gives you an insight into many things. The readings gained from checking your battery voltage, for example, can tell you whether the gauges on your ignition panel are correct or how long you need to…
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Character of the cut

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Janet Richardson

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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…
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Hidden Nature – A Voyage of Discovery by Alys Fowler

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Janet Richardson

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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…
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London’s Strangest: The Thames

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Janet Richardson

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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…
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Dog walking on the canals

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Janet Richardson

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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…
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The Canal Pioneers by Anthony Burton

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Janet Richardson

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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…
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The Mid-Shannon Waterway – A pictorial book of designated and tranquil moorings by Donal Boland

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Janet Richardson

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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…
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Panorama of the Thames. A Riverside View of Georgian London

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Janet Richardson

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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…
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The Wrong Way Round by Rob Pearson

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Janet Richardson

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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…
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The Turf

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Janet Richardson

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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…
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