Towpath Talk

  • Noble Marine Insurance provides support during cost of living crisis

    Noble Marine Insurance provides support during cost of living crisis

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    THE cost of living crisis has swept across the UK and impacted most monthly and annual household expenses. For those living on a narrowboat, this means increases in costs such as licences, fuel, maintenance, groceries, mooring fees and insurance. As a market leader in marine insurance, Noble Marine Insurance prides itself on always putting its…

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  • Fishing celebration brings global communities to UK canal

    Fishing celebration brings global communities to UK canal

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    On 21 October 2023, young people with ancestral connections to 39 countries will gather at Market Drayton on the Shropshire Union Canal to participate in a global angling event. Hosted by national charity Canal & River Trust, the Daiwa Global Communities Celebration brings together young people from all backgrounds. The communities represented include Bangladesh, China,…

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  • Chief executive resigns from IWA

    Chief executive resigns from IWA

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    PROFESSOR Sarah Niblock has resigned her position as chief executive of the Inland Waterways Association. IWA is extremely fortunate to have the interim support of some highly experienced volunteers who, along with an enthusiastic trustee team, will cover the position in the short term. National chairman Les Etheridge said: “IWA would like to thank Sarah…

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  • Building better access in Selly Oak Park

    Building better access in Selly Oak Park

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    THE Lapal Canal Trust was recently fortunate to host 12 volunteers from the Waterway Recovery Group for a week to help with restoration work on the Dudley No 2 Canal in Selly Oak Park. They took on the task of starting work on an accessibility path linking the towpath to the bridge built in 1797…

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  • West Country canal trust appeals for help

    West Country canal trust appeals for help

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    FRIENDS of the Grand Western Canal Trust are promoting plans to develop a wildlife and heritage corridor along the Somerset section which is mostly not in water and often overlooked.   The canal once linked Tiverton with Taunton as a flourishing trading route. And following a meeting last autumn, it became clear from the enthusiastic feedback…

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  • Characters of the Cut: Lazydays – Colicia Summers

    Characters of the Cut: Lazydays – Colicia Summers

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    Alice Griffin reports… FOR actress and photographer Colicia Summers, canals and water have always been part of her life. As a teenager she performed in a narrowboat musical at Her Majesty’s Theatre, and her all-time favourite job was a 2019 feature film shot in Switzerland on Isole Di Brissago, Lake Maggiore. Not only that but…

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  • Good Energy volunteers boost Wilts & Berks work

    Good Energy volunteers boost Wilts & Berks work

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    THE restoration of the Wilts & Berks Canal received a welcome boost after a team of Good Energy volunteers swapped deskwork for digging. Staff from the renewable energy company in Chippenham lent their support to the creation of a new woodland and wildflower meadow alongside the nearby waterway. They helped with protecting hedgerows and sowing…

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  • River health: Joining forces to tackle pollution

    River health: Joining forces to tackle pollution

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    River health is more than a talking point, as Sally Clifford finds out. WHEN it comes to looking after our rivers, actions speak louder than words. “The health of our rivers is a key national conversation, and we have a lot to do to deliver investment in the areas that will make improvements to water…

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  • Signalling the way to new stop gate

    Signalling the way to new stop gate

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    ASHBY Canal Association has celebrated the opening of the new stop gate and associated pedestrian bridge at Snarestone. The stop gate is for safety and also to give access to the association’s shop and other facilities. “The event was well attended,” said chairman Peter Oakden. “I was a bit pessimistic due to the uncertainty of…

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  • Canal appeal raises nearly £100,000 in first quarter

    Canal appeal raises nearly £100,000 in first quarter

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    ORGANISERS of the Restore the Montgomery Canal! appeal are delighted with generous donations from many supporters in the canal area and across the country. Of the target of £250,000, more than £95,000 has been raised already with donations online, cheques by post and cash and notes in collecting buckets, all boosted by a substantial donation…

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  • Swansea Canal 225th anniversary exhibition heads out on tour

    Swansea Canal 225th anniversary exhibition heads out on tour

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    A special exhibition looking back on 225 years of the Swansea Canal is going on tour throughout the Swansea Valley after a successful six-months on display at the National Waterfront Museum Swansea. The exhibition is a partnership project with Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal & River Trust in Wales, and Swansea Canal Society, which looks back…

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  • IWA branch to join key River Dee committee

    IWA branch to join key River Dee committee

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    THE Inland Waterways Association (IWA), Chester & Merseyside Branch, has been invited to take a seat on the Dee Estuary Consultative Committee by the Environment Agency for Wales. The agency manages the basic navigation structures such as moorings, navigational aids etc in the area covered by law for the estuary. This area is basically from…

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  • North Cheshire Cruising Club celebrates oak anniversary 

    North Cheshire Cruising Club celebrates oak anniversary 

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    THE North Cheshire Cruising Club launched its 80th anniversary celebrations on September 9, when Rt Hon Lord Andrew Stunell cut a red ribbon on a rare surviving exhibit, recently dredged out of the Macclesfield Canal High Lane Arm. This historic relic, a significant section of tram rail that can be dated to 1922, is part…

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  • Canal & River Trust Shares Structure of Boat Licence Pricing

    Canal & River Trust Shares Structure of Boat Licence Pricing

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    Following the announcement on 19 September about changes to future boat licensing, the Canal & River Trust is today giving further details about the increases in licence fees to be applied from 1 April 2024 for boats without a home mooring and wide beam boats. Licences for all boats on the Trust’s waterways will increase above inflation…

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