We've spent a significant part of this year on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal; we went up the Wigan Flight in February and came down in July.

We cruised up to Stanley Ferry on the Aire Navigation, turned around and came back the same way.

During our time on this canal,  we noticed a significant deterioration in lots of ways. Obviously, the seasons changed during our time there and moorings we'd enjoyed heading towards Leeds were totally overgrown as we headed back towards Wigan making it impossible to get into the bank.

The Bingley Five Rise locks were leaking so much more on our return journey and it was entirely due to the CRT Volunteers that we were able to manage the flight safely and without incident.

Most of the locks along the canal take some managing as paddles are often broken and water levels are difficult to manage.

When we came down the Wigan Flight in July, there had been an issue between CRT and the regular volunteers on the flight, so there was no one to highlight the problems to look out for.

We did have a very frightening situation where the button fender on the bow got caught on a gate and we very nearly sunk...not an experience we ever want to repeat.

The Leeds-Liverpool is such a lovely canal with so much to recommend it and so many great places to visit, but if it isn't better maintained in the future, I feel it'll become a 'ghost' canal.

We've spoken to many people who've said 'never again' when talking about Wigan and it seems such a shame. We know the financial difficulties CRT are facing, but it's clear the north is falling behind in terms of maintenance.

What happened to levelling up?

Keats’ description of Autumn brings to mind a rich image and a distinct feeling, with the growing chill in the air, the earthy scent of leaves underfoot and the rich colours of the trees, hedgerows and fields.

Inevitably, the less barriers that you have between yourself and nature, the more you will see the changes that happen as the seasons move from one to another. Living, or spending time, on a boat, puts you in almost direct contact with the environment as you navigate your way along canal or river.

The term “Autumn” has been with us since the 1300s. “The fall”, which I always consider as particularly American, was, in fact, in common use in England until the end of the 1600s. The “falling” and “springing” of the leaves were physical changes that measured the seasons for our forebears.

Autumn is a time of change. The colours of the leaves and fruits on trees, along with the crops in the fields, create a tapestry across the landscape. Vincent van Gough said, “As long as Autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colours enough to paint the beautiful things I see. (1) In truth, this beauty is a sign of shorter, colder days, which themselves presage a time when nature will sleep.

The falling of the leaves, the gathering in of the harvest and that period of rest are all necessary to make space for new growth in the coming spring. In the same way, for us, we may need to reflect the changes of the seasons, to be ready for what next year brings.

(1)Letter from Vincent van Gough to Theo van Gogh. Arles, c.26 September 1888.

I thought you were getting frisky
When you rolled on me in the night
But the mattress was on a slant
When our mooring ropes went tight

We moonwalked down the boat
Then tried our best to dress
It's hard to put a leg in a pant
Whilst you're leaning to the left

Breakfast was quite a challenge
Cooking on a tilted vessel
What with our sausages rolling
And a sliding boiling kettle

The shower drain doesn't
Nor does the kitchen sink
We've gone all Brahms and Liszt
But we haven't had a drink

Our cupboard doors are wide open
With all our wares on show
We're sitting on the canal bed
No longer in the flow

We'll have to dance for rain
For we really are quite stuck
It's most discombobulating
All this wallowing in the muck

So when you leave a lock
Shut your gates and paddles tight
And ladies won't get squashed
By their husbands in the night

A year ago we were moored almost in exactly the same spot we have just arrived at, Pangbourne Meadow, on the river Thames. It is beautiful, even on a cloudy, drizzly day.

What a difference a year makes. Our plan in September 2023 was to travel to Lechlade, arrive on the K&A at Newbury in early November, where we would winter until April 2024. We would travel to Bristol and back before the busy summer season, hoping to avoid too many hire boats and lack of moorings. Other plans were afoot?

Unbeknownst to us our boat had a rusty diesel tank, dirty fuel and the engine repeatedly cut out on the Thames, which was a little unsettling. We limped onto the K&A in mid October, just as the red boards started to appear. Fortunately we made it to Newbury by the end of October, little thinking it would be late May before the River Kennet came off those boards! We still had time to hotfoot it to Bristol before the summer holidays, except a lorry went into the canal and our journey was further delayed!

So here we are Sept 2024 back where we started but do we mind? Not a bit! The joy of this journeying is to accept the lack of control that we have over unforeseen circumstances and to live in the moment. Very much like life itself. Any belief that we are in control is misguided. None of us knows what. tomorrow holds, so it makes sense to try and make the most of the time that we have and to be prepared for the unexpected.

I sometimes reflect that we are so busy living this life, that many neglect to consider the life to come. Yet eternity is eternal and our earthly life is fleeting in comparison. We may care well for our physical and mental needs with good food, exercise and friends as therapy but it might just be worth attending to our spiritual needs too.

We are physically back in the same mooring twelve months later, but I truly feel our spiritual life is in a different place- the people we have met, the experiences we have had, have helped shape us, grow us and enrich us by opening our eyes and hearts to the good that is around.

May that be possible for all others who seek it too.

Please visit my website if you wish to read more or to connect with me.

Mike, not his real name, had all the euphoria of a new skipper; he’d asked if I’d look at his engine, which was giving him some trouble but couldn’t resist showing off his new boat. “Only cost me seven grand - a bargain!”

It certainly was a bargain but I knew the history of this boat, the Nevando. Irish Jim had bought it, about a decade ago, for a thousand pounds, cheaply bought, for it had only recently been dragged up from the depths of the Worcester and Birmingham. “We’re taking it to Stoke.” Mike explained, I wished him luck, sincerely, doubting it would ever reach Stoke and, recalling uneasily that the most famous Captain to come from Stoke-on-Trent was Edward J. Smith of the Titanic, but I dismissed my fears as undue pessimism and asked “Have you had it surveyed?” “Nah—four hundred quid for the crane, can’t afford it.” I saw Mike three days later, when he pulled up beside me in his van with a face bent on murder. “Boat sank in Selly Oak. Seven grand - gone! What a rip off!”

His language, appropriate to his dismay, was a good deal more colourful and the murderous look in his face made me feel uncomfortable. Later, I heard, he stormed the snug of The Crown pub and vented his wrath with the same colourful language he described the sinking to me minutes before, which, so I was later told, resulted in Irish Jim ‘pontificating and looking sheepish,’ while Mike, ejected from the pub remained ‘an extremely angry man outside.’

The chain of ownership was complicated. Irish Jim had lived on the Nevando for several years, the boat was static, remaining at Orchard moorings in Alvechurch for the best part of a decade. Then the landowner decided property development was more lucrative than narrowboats and promptly ejected the boats from his land. Irish Jim (so called for his work in the troubles as a double agent identifying IRA sympathizers for British, or so the legend goes) applied for, and was granted an alms house by the parish council. I was moored beside the Nevando for some time and met the first, unfortunate, new owner, a young lad, called Bill, albeit only once. He’d purchased the Nevando from Irish John for £10,000, no doubt as a project boat with a view for selling it on as a profit. Realizing the Nevando was a hopeless case, the hull was pitted, holed, and hadn’t seen a lick of Bitumen in years, he then sold it on to Mike for £7000, no doubt rueing his three grand loss; the third sale of the boat within six months.

When I asked Liz Sollars, CRT officer for the Midlands, about the wreck she did not attempt to keep the exasperation from her voice but remained tight lipped, “It will all come out in the wash.” Due process had not been followed. Mike had bought, and sunk the boat, without being registered as the new owner, a real headache for Liz. A captain who loses their ship must expect a court martial. In this instance I can only feel sorry for Bill and Mike, who inherited Nevando, and its insuperable problems from Irish Jim. Yes; they should have had the boat surveyed before full purchase, yes, they were naive and cutting corners, and if anything it serves as a salutary lesson in the value of a survey.

For me, the real villain of the piece is Irish Jim. He knew the hull was damaged, perhaps beyond repair. He had his alms house. He had his pension. There was a marina just two hundred yards away from his mooring where he could easily have taken the Nevando and sold it for scrap, and, with rising steel prices, would still have made a profit on his £1000,even for scrap value. Motivated by greed he sold that death trap of a boat for maximum profit to buyers, naïve and greedy, but in doing so, endangered lives. What good fortune that the Nevando sank in Selly Oak. It was January, the water was below freezing and, with the two miles of Wast Hill tunnel in-between, I dread to think what would have happened if she foundered there.

A few days later I paid a visit to Selly Oak, expecting to see the wreck of the Nevando, waterlogged, listing and abandoned but was surprised to find her, engine thumping, the bilges spewing water, and Mike aboard, fiddling with the wiring. “I’ve had to re-float her several times. Kids keep coming along cutting the wiring and she sinks again.” The trouble with sinking, is one cannot chose where to sink and may end up in a less than salubrious district. “I’m still gonna get her to Stoke,” Mike elaborated, “Well, I’ve got to.”

I’m not sure whether to put this down to determination or desperation. Mike, intending to live-aboard this vessel, and having no-where else to live other than his van, or at least, as far as I could tell, wasn’t going to give up on his investment easily. I at least admired his optimism. Buy cheap, buy twice, and it never does to cut corners with boats, especially if you intend to make them your home. With narrowboats in such demand at present, I fear stories like Mike’s may become increasingly common. My only hope is that this tale of the wreck of the Nevando serves as a salutary tale. Buyers Beware.

A couple of weeks later, I received a brief message from Tina, Mike’s partner which read simply; ‘We made it to Stoke.’ A happy ending, I hope, and given the state of the Nevando, I hoped it had been hauled up onto a hard standing, like an in-movable, beached whale; Never again to travel but never again to sink

I’ve been bitten badly in the leg and it is taking its time to heal. It was also incredibly painful, swelled quickly and made me feel quite nauseous for a while. The suspect a spider! A false widow to be more exact, from what I could work out from its mangled remains. I don’t mind spiders. I don’t go into panic mode when I see them, but just to give a flavour of how I feel let’s give this article a catchy acronym: Big Roaming Spider Territory Deterrents.

Did you know there are 650 types in the UK of which 12 can inflict a bite on a human? The false widow being most feared, followed by the garden and the cupboard. So that’s three we can find on board before we get past the galley. OK what to do? I made a school boy error years ago by using a direct killer from a well know brand – what I wasn’t expecting was the cockpit vinyl windows to age twenty years in a week and after that I never tried it again. So we are going organic and using a mixture of incense sticks (because I found some in charity shop going cheap) and tea tree oil, although peppermint apparently also works, as does half a lemon. This is after first giving all the cracks and crevasses a good hoovering out and, more importantly, emptying the hoover immediately as I’ve seen them crawl back out of the nozzle. Having said that, years ago I was complaining about cluster flies.

On with the show and it’s been a good summer cruising about– usually from pub to pub or tearoom and I will admit to pushing the old tub hard on a few Sunday afternoons to make it in time for a coffee and a pasty. As I have got older, I have realised that I am less agile, and the canal can be a lonely place. We shy away from thinking about safety because it’s rammed down our throat by every corporation’s, “It’s our number one priority!” And the boat safety doesn’t cover the most obvious danger - us!

So here is my over 60s list...

• Boarding ladder essential always have it down when cruising, I don’t think I could pull my self back on board up the hull any more.

• Deck-harness and two lanyard clips when using ladders in a lock, OK its slower, but an incident in Semington made me think! Hitting my own deck from 10 foot wouldn’t be good.

• Windlass, belt clip and lanyard – nothing worse than trying to climb a ladder with one in your hand.

• Drop the canopy!! I used to be able to enter and exit through roll up doors quite easily. Now I find its far easier just to step into the cockpit.

• Engine shut off, especially in the locks – I find this odd because on level 2 powerboats we must wear a lanyard that kills ignition if we leave helm. Anyway, I saw a boat leave Seend top lock by itself as its owner caught the rope around the morse lever.

• Life jacket – I never used to wear one then I started wearing self-inflatables which also have harness points built in.

• Centre mooring cleat, mine is lashed through the two handrails but a rope in centre makes handling so much easier on your own.

• Last but not least and we all carry one but never use it, the boat hook with one modification, the handle has been drilled out so you can attach it to your boat. I’ve even become a dab hand at being able to loop a rope onto a bollard with the hook and not leave the boat.

Improvement of the year is having one-way valves on the bilge pumps, this keeps a certain amount of water in the exit pipe so when you start the pump it has something to push against and stops that cavitation you get with impeller pumps and also stops what’s left in the pipe from falling back into the boat.

The second improvement is ditching the large batteries in favour of smaller motorcycle batteries – now I don’t have a large solar set up like some boats, mine are trickle charge in fact I doubt they give out more than 2amps. Also the out board is essentially a motorcycle engine and its generator isn’t that powerful and what have found is smaller amperage batteries are fully charged (obviously) far easier than some great lump of a leisure battery which doesn’t seem to get above 80percent without being hooked onto mains for two days. Now I have three small batteries giving a total of 120 amps but each with its own solar trickle -Lets see what happens over winter.

Lastly a few things that have worked well! That sticky-back plastic – I haven’t painted anything for ages and it’s been on the deck outside for years. Pouring dilute waterproof pva down every deck screw I could find - not a leak in sight! Remember - you read that here first!

There is a certain animosity reserved for London boaters within the British boating community. The stereotype goes that London boaters don’t move in accordance to the CRT rules, they moor badly, they only want to be in central London which is why it is always so busy there, and perhaps worst of all, they are utterly clueless about their boats. There is even a cute nickname for this mythical breed, they are ‘floaters not boaters’. I believe this boils down to some more seasoned boaters becoming frustrated with the influx of young folk moving onto the water and perhaps not abiding by the unspoken code, or even CRT rules. Much the same as the certain demographic who vilify the youth of today with condemnations such as ‘young people today don’t know how easy they have it’, or ‘back in my day…’. It even reminds me of Kim Kardashian’s advice to women in business; ‘get your f***ing ass up and work, it seems like nobody wants to work these days’. Basically I think that people can be pretty unsympathetic to those they believe to be less experienced, less rule abiding, less well off than themselves.

I believe that the housing crisis has affected the demographic of people who move onto boats, and this has had a knock on affect on the nature of the boating community, especially in London. I believe there are also other factors such as advances in technology that have made boat life easier and more appealing, but I’d put money on money being the reason accounting for most of the increase. In 2000, when both housing and rental prices were more affordable, there were approximately 1,600 boats with no home mooring on the network. According to the latest CRT data in 2023, there are now approximately 6,650, which is a 316% increase. I would suggest that back in 2000, people who chose to live on boats did so because the lifestyle appealed to them, this being the primary reason. When the cost of life on land is manageable, the lure of a rent/mortgage free life is probably less appealing, therefore leaving those who are simply attracted to the nomadic lifestyle. I can’t be sure, because there wasn’t really any boaters survey back in 2000 with this kind of information on it. But if I am right, there has been a stark change, with a pretty large proportion of predominantly young people moving onto the water for economic reasons. In 2000 the average London renter would expect to pay less than £200, these days you’d be lucky to find something for 3 or 4 times that number. House prices have also skyrocketed which means that the amount of people renting their home has doubled and is expected to double yet again in the next 10 years, while Londoners often spend half of their income paying somebody else’s mortgage. I would therefore suggest that this is probably the primary reason for the increase in people choosing to buy boats, rather than pissing hard earned money up the wall paying rent.

My partner and I bought our boat in spring 2022, I was 25 and had been renting house shares in London for 4 years. Our 52 foot narrowboat cost us £40k, which we took a loan to cover. We now pay what we used to in rent as loan repayments, as I write this we only have 3 years left until we finish paying it off. We now have a home that is completely our own, which is something we wouldn’t have been able to do any other way. The lifestyle is something that definitely appealed to both of us as well (albeit a somewhat romanticised idea of the lifestyle), but I honestly can’t say what might have happened if renting was affordable or buying property at all feasible. I love the lifestyle so much that I like to think I would have done it anyway, but it wasn’t something I even considered until my partner and I wanted to move in together having had enough of shared houses, before realising how expensive studio flats are.

So I can imagine that young folk like ourselves might decide to buy a boat as a way of escaping the parasite that is the London rental market. They are sold the romanticised boating dream, perhaps don’t do their research properly and then realise that it is actually really hard work. You have to be practical, prepared to learn a lot and get your hands dirty. You need to be prepared to spend a big chunk of your free time doing boat stuff, which is something I don’t think people realise. It’s not a life hack, it’s not even as cheap as people expect because maintenance costs money. But can you blame them for not knowing? Or thinking they could do it before realising it’s actually too much? I believe these are some of the ‘floaters not boaters’ that get absolutely lambasted on Facebook for asking stupid questions, or laughed at for not knowing things they maybe should.

Don’t get me wrong, it is frustrating when people moor badly or don’t move for 6 months, and I do believe that we all have a responsibility to the boating community to not be a dick, and to be considerate of other waterways users. Especially in London and other cities, where mooring spots are harder to find, and the facilities are busier, one dick move can have a knock on affect on other boaters' moving day.

We have all experienced it, and it doesn’t feel great, but we move on. I think it’s so easy to point fingers at certain people or even a certain demographic as to why the boating community and life on the water isn’t what it should or could be. But I don’t understand how the grumbly farts on Facebook can’t take a step back and look at the wider social and economic climate, and see pretty clearly why exactly things are like this now. It’s not down to individuals who don’t do their research or can’t really hack the lifestyle, it’s the broader power structures that have brought about the housing crisis, the cost of living crisis and mass youth disenfranchisement and alienation. It feels utterly hopeless to know you will never own your own property and will therefore always be at the mercy of the parasite class with no rent control, you’ll work a 40-50 hour week well into your 70s, with a crumbling NHS and no safety net. So can you blame them for absolutely clinging to that what appears to be a way out? People are desperate, they want some ownership over their lives. Humans are a successful species because we are incredibly adaptable, this is just one way that people are trying to survive in a hostile environment.

In 2023, River Canal Rescue (RCR) warned boat owners about third-party ONLY insurance policies and how ambiguous wording could leave them unable to recover costs for a vessel refloat, removal and pollution management if their boat sinks.

It’s not just third-party policy wording however, that’s under fire; RCR highlights that even when you’ve done everything correctly, you can still end up in a situation where your claim is denied.
RCR and its subsidiary, Canal Contracting, respond to hundreds of incidents resulting in insurance claims every year, and there’s growing alarm over the high number of cases where it could be argued that claims are unfairly rejected.

Managing director, Stephanie Horton, comments: “In addition to insurance companies removing common third-party risks or adding them as optional extras, essentially downgrading their cover, we’re witnessing some heart-breaking cases, where insurers are rejecting claims from people with fully comprehensive cover, leaving them to cover salvage costs and unable to replace their homes or possessions.
“In most cases owners have been responsible, obtained surveys and undertaken all work identified, but can end up still being penalised for issues they were unaware of.”

Lost everything

Keith Gray from Manchester and partner, Niall Senior, bought 52ft narrowboat Wind Whistle in November last year. The modified boat had no engine, the original empty steel hull was welded to a new steel cabin superstructure, the inside of the steel shell had been spray-foamed and cabin spaces refitted.

During its survey, the surveyor made a series of pre-purchase recommendations, such as adding skin fittings and valves, blocking up un-used holes in the stern and fitting bilge alarms and pumps, which the sellers agreed to rectify.

The buyers opted to insure with the boat’s existing insurers, reasoning the insurer would know its history and modifications. They left the boat Christmas Eve to visit family, and on Boxing Day, during a period of storms, the boat sank.

Having messaged their insurer, Keith and Niall were offered no help re salvage or finding temporary accommodation, so they contacted RCR who organised the salvage and provided support/advice.

After the boat was raised, the insurer’s surveyor said the rebuilding and fitting out works had been undertaken without adequate care and attention to acceptable boat building practices and construction standards, and reported the boat ‘not fit for purpose’.

Key contributors to the sinking were identified as:
• The domestic water tank and water system pipework had not been installed and secured in an appropriate manner or with the right material.
• There was no, or a significant lack of, ballast beneath the cabin floorboards, negatively impacting the boat’s stability, and the cabin floorboards were laid and secured in such a way they cannot be lifted to allow the retrospective installation of ballast in the underlying bilge.

• Weight was added high up without appreciating the effect this might have on the boat’s stability. Thick/heavy tiles and timber were affixed and used to line the cabin sides and deck heads and a very large wall-mounted mirror was affixed to the cabin side in the saloon.
• Hull openings were incorrectly configured and an inappropriately blanked-off out-of-use skin fitting was left through the hull, close to the waterline, suggesting a lack of appreciation of the impact this may have on seaworthiness in general.
• The plastic skin fittings were not fitted with a valve and therefore open/unsealed, and proprietary skin fittings were not in place in the two openings in the port hull topsides, adjacent to the galley sink.
• There were no bilge pumps or alarms fitted and the openings were not watertight.

The surveyor said these issues should have been flagged up to the insurer, yet Keith and Niall were either unaware of them or believed they had been put right.

The insurer rejected the claim, citing: the insured failed to comply with the surveyor’s recommendations, the vessel was not maintained for the use intended and it was in a poor condition, causing water incursion which was not sudden, unforeseen or accidental (which they would cover).

Having used their life savings for the boat, the couple now have no home, money or possessions, and the insurer even declined to pay for the lift-out and towing away of the boat.
Their insurer offered to refund Keith and Niall the policy premium, if they accepted the terms of the declination (which they haven’t) and advised them to sue the sellers/ pre-purchase surveyor via their legal expenses cover (which they are).

Keith, a creative director, and Niall, a musician, are trying to return Wind Whistle to a live-able condition and have set up a Go Fund Me page  so they can pay a joiner to re-fit the boat.

A heart-breaking case

Lily Goodwin bought her 36ft springer narrowboat Stortford Rose in September 2020, during lockdown, continuously cruising in the London area.

The pre-purchase survey showed up a few amber flags, but nothing critical, and Lily undertook all the work highlighted in the survey. Crucial to her claim, the surveyor said the gas locker coatings were beginning to breakdown due to age (recommending the locker is thoroughly descaled and protective coatings applied), but he did not say the gas locker coatings were holed.

Similar to Keith and Niall, Lily went with her seller’s insurer – thinking it would keep things simple.

In November 2021, Lily double-moored her boat on the River Lea, London, and went to stay at her boyfriend’s for the weekend. While away there was a storm and the boat sank. After contacting her insurer, RCR attended to refloat it.

The insurer’s surveyor reported: ‘RCR stated the weed hatch was very loose and they suspected that had been the source of the ingress. The freeboard was measured at 12 - 13cm with the gasket found in good condition, so it was not confirmed this was the cause. The rudder stock tube, stern gland, gas locker and through-hull penetrations were inspected but with access restrictions due to detritus and personal possessions, no obvious cause could be identified.'

Having confirmed the boat was beyond repair and with no obvious sinking cause, the surveyor said he would sign off the sinking and Lily’s claim would be paid.

Stortford Rose sank again two days later. RCR believes this was due to the theft of the bilge pump it installed, preventing water being pumped out as it drained into the bilges, coupled with heavy rainfall.

After being raised, Lily felt the second visit from her insurer’s surveyor was less positive. He appeared to spend less time inspecting the boat and asked for more contents evidence. Lily’s possessions, including equipment, electrical items and the bilge pump/battery RCR installed, had been stolen.

Having conceded the first sinking was due to the storm and water entering the gas locker through the drain and possibly from above (which Lily believes would have been covered), in his second report the surveyor concluded ‘the vessel sank because water entered the gas locker, which was holed through corrosion, allowing water to enter the engine compartment. This happened on both occasions. Had the gas locker been in good condition, it is likely that it would have contained the water. The extent and severity of the corrosion was not identified in the survey report, commissioned by the insured’.

The claim was rejected, citing negligence, yet it was due to an issue Lily was unaware of as it hadn’t been picked up by her pre-purchase surveyor. Lily was also left to pick up the second salvage, lifting and transporting cost which was over £3,500.

After the boat was taken out of the water, Lily asked for a second independent survey - he found the hull was very thin, half the hull thickness reported by the first surveyor – and said if the boat had been hit once raised, it would let water in.

Despite sharing her evidence with the insurer, the claim was still rejected.

Lily, a freelance art-fabricator involved in prop making, didn’t take out legal expenses cover and cannot afford the legal fees to take things further. She has now sold her boat to someone who will refurbish it.

Distressing
Stephanie concludes: “It is important that owners do their own checks and ask questions, make sure you are fully informed. Gas locker issues make up a large proportion of rejection of claims so is always worth checking these areas periodically. These cases are very distressing, and it is concerning that claims are being denied when a survey has not picked up a problem. If customers take all the precautions and actions outlined in a survey – having instructed a professional to provide guidance – how can they be held responsible for not knowing about an issue that is then relied upon to reject a claim? Unfortunately, the cases detailed are only the tip of the iceberg.”

In a past life, I was an occupational therapy service manager with an office base at St Bernard’s Hospital, on the Uxbridge Road, in West London. At the time it was the mental health wing of the local NHS Trust. It had once been Hanwell Pauper and Lunatic Asylum, renowned for initiating therapeutic employment and discontinuing the management of patients by mechanical restraint. ¹

In the 1830s, the grounds of the asylum were farmed by the residents and the asylum was self-sufficient, with a laundry, bakery and brewery.

The Grand Union Canal runs behind the wall at the southern boundary of the site. It was not until I was on our boat going up the Hanwell flight that I noticed the bricked-up entrance to the asylum’s own docks, where barges delivered coal and took away surplus produce for sale. ²

There was an information board which made me realise, here was a completely different view and understanding of the St Bernard’s site. I really valued having new insight into where I had once had my office.

Time and time again, while journeying along the canal, you see buildings or relics from the past. You read personal accounts of how individuals and families lived and worked on or alongside the canals. Canals can give you a different view of life, past and current.

As we travelled further north last Autumn, we couldn’t help but notice the mills which dominate the skyline. Rock Nook textile mill, at Summit on the Rochdale Canal, was still standing when I took this photo. It struck me how church-like the tower is.

In Victorian times, the mill must have been as dominant and influential in the lives of local people as Holy Trinity Church, in nearby Littleborough. With dereliction, fire and now the demolition of the mill, this part of the local industrial history has gone.

The canals are a huge part of the nation’s history, but does that justify saving and maintaining old buildings, or creating museums and experiences to educate visitors? It’s a difficult question to consider when there doesn’t seem to be enough in the pot to maintain the current waterways.

I wonder if this links to my previous article which asked how to engage locals to care for and enjoy their local stretch of canal? Historic places promote the human stories of the people who built, lived, or worked in them.³

In learning these stories, people may see how the structure and culture of their communities have been shaped. If people can make a link with their local canal history, might they become invested in maintaining it today?

1.  St Bernard’s Hospital, Hanwell
   Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Bernard%27s_Hospital,_Hanwell
2.  Lost Hospitals of London - St Bernard’s Hospital
   Available at: https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/stbernards.html
3.  Preservation Virginia website
   Available at: https://preservationvirginia.org/why-preservation-what-are-the-benefits

HELLO SUMMER.

This could be a question rather than a statement because we had the occasional fire during May and only recently we were back to warmer clothing and waterproofs. But now June is promising finer and warmer weather we will be back to “al fresco” and lighter meals.

Summer has officially arrived for me when the elder-flower blossom blooms and on a warm day the sweet heady aroma of that and the nettles reminds me of a good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc! My first batch of elder-flower cordial is made, the dandelion honey was made earlier on and this month I will be making clover honey for the first time. These sweet syrups may not be the ideal  substitute for honey but are perfect for using over fruit, natural yoghurt, breakfast muesli, in marinades and dressings etc.

ELDERFLOWER DRESSING is perfect over green salads. Mix together 2 tbsp elderflower cordial, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 3 tbsp olive oil, zest and juice of 1 lemon.

Fridge space is always limited but there’s always a big tub of natural yoghurt in mine. It’s an all rounder for every meal from breakfast smoothies and muesli, muffin and cake recipes, then of course marinades and dressings. Feta and halloumi are synonymous with summer recipes, as are lemon, fresh herbs, chillies, seasonal fresh produce and soft fruits.

BEETROOT! Not everyone enjoys this dark purple vegetable but if you do it’s the perfect addition to summer salads, it marries well with feta, fish (such as mackerel or cod) and lentils. It also makes a wonderful salsa and has good health benefits.

BEETROOT SALSA

Combine all the ingredients together: 2 to 4 beets, finely diced ½ red onion; finely chopped ½ each red and green chilli, de-seeded and very finely chopped; 1 tsp freshly chopped mint; (use mint sauce from a jar if you don’t have fresh) 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil; Juice of ½ lemon, or 1 tbsp cider vinegar; Pinch salt.

GREEK SCRAMBLED EGGS A lovely light meal and perfect served on toasted sourdough.

Feta cheese, about ¼ pack 2 to 3 (depending on size) tomatoes, finely chopped 4 large eggs, lightly whisked 1 tsp oregano Generous pinch of salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a pan end gently fry the tomatoes for 2 or 3 minutes until some of the juice evaporates. Add the eggs, oregano and seasoning to the pan then gently stir and fold the mixture across the pan. When the eggs are just about cooked, crumble in the feta cheese and gently fold in. Enjoy with warm toast.

PESTO in a jar is a useful store cupboard ingredient to have in and makes a quick salad dressing or marinade for chicken and vegetables with added oil, lemon juice (or cider vinegar) and optional chilli. It’s also handy to stir through a pasta dish, or as a pizza or tart base.

SUMMER PESTO, COURGETTE AND TOMATO TART

Roll out a pack of ready roll puff pasty onto a baking sheet, using the packaging paper as a non-stick sheet. Tidy the edges with a knife to form a neat rectangle, then gently score a line all the way round, about an inch in from the edge cutting all the way the through. Brush a little beaten egg around the border taking care not to spill over the sides otherwise you wont get an even rise. Brush a thin layer of pesto over the base and pop into a hot oven for 5 minutes while you prepare the topping. Slice 1 to 2 courgettes into discs and gently fry in a little oil for a couple minutes each side. Remove the pastry from the oven and arrange the courgette pieces over the top, followed by sliced small tomatoes and salt and pepper. Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes until the pastry edges are golden and crispy. Enjoy warm or cut into squares and eat cold.

When planning to barbecue we often have a plan b, which is usually involves the skillet or griddle pan and cooking over the gas hob inside! My devilled corn on the cob recipe can also be cooked in a hot pan, as can the skewers if they are small enough, and burgers of course.

Yoghurt sauce, tzatziki, hummus, guacamole etc. are all favourites and have been included in previous summer articles. My quick onion relish recipe not only works as an accompaniment but is a good binder for my meatball kebabs. Jalapeno peppers in a jar are a great addition to salsas, homemade burgers and aioli.

LOADED BURGERS WITH JALAPENO

AIOLI works well with any type of burger:

For the aioli simply mix together (or blend in a mini chopper) 1 finely chopped garlic clove, ½ cup mayonnaise, a few sliced jalapenos, add a little juice from the jar to make a thinner sauce.

Slice the burger bun and toast on the inside, then layer the burger up, firstly spread some aioli over the base, followed by a lettuce leaf, slice of tomato, sliced onion ring, cooked burger, slice of cheese, cooked bacon rasher, sliced avocado, finally spread more aioli over the burger bun lid and place over the top!

LENTIL BURGERS 1 tin lentils, drained ½ small red onion and 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped 70g porridge oats, finely blended to fine if you have a mini chopper of food processor 1 tsp chilli flakes or finely chopped fresh chilli ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp turmeric 1 tomato, finely chopped 50 ml natural yoghurt A handful of freshly chopped coriander, mint or parsley if you have it pinch salt and pepper

Start by gently frying the chopped onion and garlic, add the spices and seasoning to combine and then remove from the heat. Whiz the oats in a processor, if you don’t have one you could place them in a strong food bag and crush with a rolling pin, the finer they are the easier it is to shape the burger. Then combine everything together in a bowl and leave for 20 mins. Squeeze the mixture tightly together with your hands to form the burgers, makes about 2 or 3. Double the quantities for more, will freeze uncooked.

TIP For any homemade burgers or meatballs is always good to squeeze very firmly together when shaping to avoid too much moisture and help stick together, don’t use extra lean minced meat, 30% fat content is ideal as the fat helps keep everything together, refrigerate before cooking - if they are too “soft” they fall apart easier. Make sure the grill pan is oiled just before cooking. Finally, don’t be in a hurry to turn them over, be patient and wait for one side to cook, they should only need turning once.

QUICK ONION RELISH

1 or 2 (depending on size) red onions 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp tomato puree 2 tbsp water Pinch salt and pepper Finely slice and chop the onions and add to a pan with the water and balsamic vinegar, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and add the tomato puree, honey and seasoning. Continue to simmer until the onions become soft and caramelised, add a little more water if needed.

MEATBALL KEBABS

These are good to make in advance and keep in the fridge, then if the weather changes and the barbecue is cancelled, you can always have them in a sauce or pasta.

Mix together beef mince and onion relish with a sprinkling of chilli flakes. Form into meatballs large enough to go onto a skewer, squeezing together very tightly, place them on plate in the fridge to chill before they go onto the skewer.

GRIDDLED PAPRIKA CHICKEN SALAD

Serve with sliced lettuce wedges, cucumber, onion, yoghurt dressing and fresh mint leaves. Also goes well with sweetcorn and spicy pitta wedges.

2 chicken breast fillets, cut into strips 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp smoked paprika juice ½ lemon 1 tbsp olive oil

Mix the garlic, paprika, lemon and olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper. Combine with the chicken strips and leave to marinate for at least 20 mins. Brush to barbecue griddle/rack with oil and cook the chicken for about 3 to 4 mins each side. Arrange over the salad ingredients and top with a simple yoghurt dressing.

CORN ON THE COB WITH DEVILLED BUTTER

2 corn on the cob; 60g soft butter; ½ tsp Dijon mustard; ¼ tsp each cayenne pepper and paprika; 1 tsp balsamic vinegar.

Rub a little butter over the corn on the cob, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and wrap in kitchen foil with the ends sealed well. In a small bowl mash the remaining butter with the other ingredients and set aside. Cook the wrapped corn directly over the barbecue coals for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Have a peep and if they aren’t browning cook them directly over the rack until they start to char. Once cooked unwrap and smother with the devilled butter to serve. Either serve whole or slice the kernels off with a knife and scatter over a salad. This is a tasty addition over a salad of black beans, onion and tortilla.

SPICY PITTA WEDGES

4 pitta breads cut into wedges; 2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan and crushed; ½ tsp finely chopped red chilli or dried chilli flakes; 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil; pinch salt.

Toss the pitta wedges in all the ingredients and cook over the barbeque or a dry skillet for a 2 or 3 minutes each side until golden and crispy, take care not to burn.

STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE BROWNIE CUPS

A quick and easy no cook dessert when you fancy something sweet!

Shop bought chocolate brownie bites; Fresh strawberries; Crème fraiche; Icing sugar.
Mix about 2 tablespoons icing to 200ml crème fraiche, gradually add the icing sugar, tasting for sweetness as you go, use more or less depending how sweet your tooth is. Place the brownie squares in the bottom of the glass or bowl, followed by the crème fraiche and icing sugar mixture, then the chopped strawberries, repeat and finish with a scattering of chocolate chips. Drizzle a little elder-flower cordial over the top and decorate with some elder-flowers or fresh mint and sieved icing sugar.

Hopefully we will all have a good summer and make more memories, meet more lovely boaters and stay safe! Most of all make the most of every day as before we know it we will be heading into Autumn when I will be back with more recipes. In the meantime, you can see more recipes and boating adventures on my “Canal Cuisine” Facebook Page.