It’s almost 4 years since we decided to sell our house, cars, caravan and pretty much all of our possessions to have a narrow boat built to live on, so how has that decision played out in reality? Is this nomadic way of life what we thought it would be?

The decision to do something completely off piste (for us at least) happened as a result of being at home in lockdown and ‘seeing’ a life in the future that looked a little too predictable; as we were both self employed and in our 60’s, it felt like time for a change.

Sometimes, it’s the big decisions we make in life that feel absolutely right, even when people around you are scratching their heads wondering what on earth you’re thinking of.

Our ‘why’ was mostly based upon wanting to challenge ourselves by living a totally different way of life, having an opportunity to see new places from a different perspective i.e. the canals, being immersed in nature most of the time and living a life where every day is different.

We did consider whether to buy a big motorhome instead, but decided against it because we wanted (at that time) to get away from the madness of busy roads and traffic…..we didn’t know what was ahead!

I bumped into someone yesterday who used to come to my Pilates classes and she said ‘you’re living a lovely life’ and we are, but as with any type of lifestyle, it does have it’s drawbacks and limitations.

The first canals in England were built in the late 1790’s and much of the network is over 200 years old; the canals were originally built as transport routes in the industrial heartlands of the north and the Midlands. After falling into disrepair with the advent of steam trains, they began to be resurrected again for the use of leisure boats in the 1970’s.

The canal system requires a huge amount of maintenance which is costly and time consuming; although the Canal & River Trust manage the system, a reduction in government funding year on year means the system is slowly failing, which can make life difficult for those of us who live on the water.

Many reservoirs that feed the canals also require heavy maintenance programmes and when reservoirs are low in water, canal water levels suffer accordingly.

It’s becomingly increasing difficult to navigate the northern canals, largely due to breaches on the Bridgewater and Macclesfield Canals; most hire boat companies selling holidays on their boats have usually been able to offer circular routes for their customers (called a ring) but with the closure of navigable waterways, businesses are struggling too as people choose not to hire boats any longer.

It sounds as if the outlook is all doom and gloom which isn’t entirely true as there are still many miles of waterways to travel which are peaceful and beautiful too, but there is a definite deterioration in the system overall.

So, is boat life still meeting our expectations? Like all aspects of life for any of us, we have to be flexible, adaptable and open to change.

As the canal and river network doesn’t allow us to access places we still want to visit, we made the decision to add another mode of transport to extend our nomadic lifestyle even further…..who knew we’d be back on the roads 4 years after saying we wanted to get away from them?!

You might imagine retirement to be a time of settling down into a peaceful routine…not quite pipe and slippers, but not travelling around all over the place, but our motto is ‘if not now, when?’

The logistics of boat and van life are new to us, but we’re finding our way around being able to cruise on the boat and planning trips to places we can’t get to on the boat in the van.

We love being able to walk in the Peak District and it’s difficult to get there on the boat at the minute due to closures on the Macclesfield Canal; so, out comes the van and off we go.

Both the van and the boat meet our 'why, what and how' needs...seeing different places, walking in nature and enjoying the peace and quiet of the countryside.

Who knows how long we’ll live this nomadic life for, but for now, there are places to go and things to do….now, where next?

Even though we’re often moving around, we’re always ‘at home’ as we’re living in our own places and surrounded by our own things. This suits us better than hiring a car and renting accommodation; despite being nomads, we are homebodies.

I wanted to challenge myself in retirement, to step outside my comfort zone a little and to test my mettle. After decades of feeling I needed to control every aspect of my life, I’m learning to go with the flow, to trust more and to be comfortable with, rather than fear uncertainty.
To live a life of variety, to be able to travel, to challenge ourselves, to keep active, to enjoy an outdoor lifestyle and to take life one day at a time is a privilege we never take for granted.

This follows my previous article on the building of the Kennet and Avon canal and its great success initially. For instance, in 1816, the Bath stone to build St. Lawrence’s church, Hungerford, was brought along the canal to the building site alongside the towpath. However, the canal’s use declined after the railway came through in 1847. Of course, it was in the interest of the railway companies that the canals should fall into disuse.

Nationalisation in 1948 put the canals in the ‘care’ of consecutive organisations, which eventually became the current Canal & River Trust. Initially, these organisations had little interest in the canals and did not consider they had a future, but the 1950s saw the start of the canal restoration movement, whose aim was to use the canals as pleasure waterways.

One saving factor for the K&A was barge operator John Gould of Newbury, who won a legal case because the 1794 Act demanded the right of navigation in perpetuity. So the canal was saved in principle, but in reality it was a total mess. Long stretches without water were filled with undergrowth, broken and rotting lock gates, crumbling banks, locks filled with deep mud, and so on.

Restoration in earnest started in the early 1970s with volunteers working in weekend gangs. As skilled as they became, the task was totally beyond them and most of the work had to be done by contractors.

The main task for the volunteers was then raising vast amounts of money. Fortunately, the National Lottery came up trumps, providing £25 million, one of its largest grants. After nearly 20 years, the restoration was complete and the entire Kennet and Avon canal was reopened by Queen Elizabeth II on the 8th August 1990.

Today the work of the Trust is focused on maintenance. Dredging is on a 3-year cycle. Wooden lock gates last about 25 years. Steel gates were tried but proved to be a disaster.

However, as reported in the Newbury Weekly News dated 23rd March 2000:

Members of the Newbury Britain in Bloom committee were joined by local canoeists, residents, representatives of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust and canal enthusiasts, actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales, for the sixth annual River and Environmental Space Clean Up Event (RESCUE). On Saturday, the volunteers worked on the canal, using grappling hooks and ropes to dredge the bottom.

Passers-by were amazed at what came out and soon a crowd gathered to watch. The newspaper reported that, among the items pulled out of Newbury’s rivers and canals at the weekend, were eighty-five shopping trolleys, two armchairs, a tractor tyre, and security fencing and signposts, complete with concrete foundations.

“It just got to the point where we just threw the grappling hooks in and would pull something out. It was a lucky dip,” said one of the organisers.

Hopefully, our 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales will now be kept in good repair and continue to provide homes and leisure pursuits for all who wish to use them.
Iris Lloyd

“Let’s moor here for the night,” Amanda smiled.
It felt strangely hedonistic to stop because they felt like stopping, but they were simply enjoying their journey.
“We could do with a few provisions.. Butter at the very least,” Amanda said as they wandered round the old stone and brick buildings of the town centre.
“We’re in the right place,” Jim replied, pointing to a shop front.
“The Buttery,” it said. “Fine foods and wines for discerning palettes.”
“We’ve ruined ours with frying everything,” Amanda laughed.
“That such places as these have not caught up with the latest in gourmet cuisine is hardly our fault,” Jim replied, his absurd fake upper middle class accent sending Amanda further into her giggling, setting him off too.
Inside was a wide selection of expensive treats, a lot of which contained various unspeakable parts of rather unfortunate animals. There was also plenty to attract Amanda’s interest, and she browsed for some time as Jim just soaked up the atmosphere of age and money.

“Can I help you?” The proprietor, who looked like she was running the place as a hobby, asked.
Amanda jumped slightly.
“Well, err, yes,” she stammered. “I’d like a jar of Kalamata olives, and, I think, some green as well, and some capers.”
Jim looked a little puzzled.
“Treats Jim. I’m not being all posh, well not really. The corner shop I worked at. I think the owner was born in the Mediterranean. Well, not in it, she’d have been a fish, but you know what I mean, she introduced me to them. Oh, and cakes.” she added, turning her attention back to the shopping. “We’d like a couple of nice cakes for afternoon tea.”
“And, um, butter,” Jim said.
The effect on Amanda was unintentional. She was giggling again, with eyes watering. She’d also set Jim off, but he faced away pretending to look at whatever was on the shelves before him.
“I’m sorry, I can’t sell you or your sister any alcohol,” the woman said as kindly as she could, mistaking Jim’s posture for concentration on the wines in front of him.
“I think we’re daft enough already,” Amanda replied. “Cakes, olives and capers will do fine. Just a few treats. And,” digging nails into the palm of her hand. “Butter.”
“Did your mother give you a list?” the woman asked politely.
“Well. No, um, I don’t, um.. live,” Amanda faltered.
“You’re a bit old to be playing picnics,” the woman said.
“You’re always too old or too young for something don’t you think,” Jim replied quietly.
“That’s true,” the woman smiled.

As Amanda sorted through her purse for the the right money, her engagement ring sparkled in the light. Seeing it, and the gold wedding band nestling by it, made her smile.
“You’re a bit young to,” the woman stopped short, then continued. “He’s very astute, your.”
“Um..” Amanda faltered again
“Last Saturday,” Jim smiled. “I’m sure I’ll like olives and capers, and the other stuff. Amanda’s usually right about me.”
“That closeness takes a long time,” the woman replied.
“Time’s relative,” Jim said patiently. “Some scientist said, before he decided that being a watchmaker was a safer occupation. I’d like some good coffee. I was shown how to make it when some wonderful people looked after me.”
“Oh,” the woman replied. “What sort do you want?”
“They used a small pan. A briki. The milk pan on Mayfly would do.” Jim smiled at the memory. “It was a long time ago but.”
The woman looked surprised by the revelation.
“It sounds like Greek or Turkish coffee. We have some good beans here if you don’t mind waiting while I grind them,” she replied.
Amanda looked curiously at her husband.
“It was a treat for doing my homework well. I think you’d like it Mand. Sorry if I remembered a bit late,” he smiled briefly.
“It does take time to know someone,” Amanda said softly. “But it’s not so bad finding out.”
“I’ve only done a small bag because it goes off quite quickly.” the shopkeeper said. “You should have the proper cups and pot though,” she added placing couple of dusty looking coffee cups and a small briki on the counter. I’ve had these in stock for too long, and they’re a bit shop soiled. Call them a wedding gift.”
“Well, thanks,” Jim replied, his face warmed by a smile. “And sorry for being daft.”
“If you can’t laugh together at things only you find funny it’s going to be a dull marriage,” the woman smiled. “Come here and laugh at any time.”

“That was a pretty odd a shopping trip,” Amanda said as the two relaxed in the pleasant afternoon warmth enjoying the view down river from the back of the Mayfly.
“We can expect that if we behave like Pinky and Perky,” Jim replied as he sipped the coffee that he’d carefully prepared, its bitter-sweet taste complimenting the cakes that Amanda had chosen.
Jim had remembered with unusual accuracy the way to prepare the brew, and replicated it with an attention to detail that the casual observer might have called obsessive.
“How many times are you going to do that?” Amanda asked, lazily stretching her legs out towards the stern.
“I can brew another if you want,” Jim replied.
“Not what I meant,” she continued. “There was me trying to impress you with exotic treats, and then you do this. I mean, just like a professional. Then there was the honeymoon room, I didn’t see that coming either.”
“Well, technically riverside pubs don’t move, but everything’s relative, so it’s possible that Mayfly at that point was actually stationary in the whole of space, and everything else was moving, in which case I guess the place was coming at us,” Jim smiled.
“So, Jimbo. Why did I just marry a lunatic? Tell me?” Amanda said, trying to avoid yet more giggling.
“Because I make good coffee,” Jim smiled contentedly.
“I didn’t know that then!” Amanda mocked protest.