I was 30 years old when I first set eyes on a proper canal and now over 40 years on I’m still a devoted ditch crawler. I bought my first narrowboat from Stoke on Trent in 1986. Then in 1998 I got the chance to buy a fine replica Dutch Barge, Saul Trader, and begin to plan a series of voyages from Gloucester, across the English Channel to France, Holland and Belgium. My books are the stories behind our voyages, and whether you’re an established enthusiast, a boater or an armchair follower I hope you will find some pleasure and enjoyment from my ramblings.
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John Skull and his wife Biene lived on their narrowboat ‘Speakeasy’ for two years. During this time John kept an illustrated journal which he has published and is now available on Amazon. John has had an adventurous life, from a childhood in Belfast, to a long naval career and a continuing thirst for travel. ‘Narrowboating…It’ll be fun, they said’ is John’s second book.
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Heather Wastie’s links with canals began when she was a child, when her family bought a small cruiser and then an old working boat called Laurel, which her father converted (although he retained the traditional back cabin).
Heather is a writer, poet, singer/songwriter, keyboard and accordion player.  She has published 8 collections of poetry, two of which relate to the canals. Heather performs her poems, working in conjunction with Alarum Theatre Company.
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Bill Savage describes himself as a canal junkie. His book ‘Canal is King’ is about a canal journey-with-a-difference. From idyllic tranquility to urban grunge. Travelling with Bill is a bit weird, often hilarious, always eventful, inevitably informative, chatting with quirky characters along the way.
Photographer as well as author – we have to thank Bill for providing our frontispiece for this edition of CanalsOnline Magazine!
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Carolyn Clark, in her latest book ‘The East End Canal Tales’ interweaves memories from over 50 people with historical accounts to tell the intriguing, humorous, moving and sometimes surprising stories of life and work on the Hackney and Tower Hamlets reach of the Regents and the Hertford Union Canals. Over 130 photographs and images, many never published before, bring the stories to life.
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“In Rodley, the barges huddle, moored tight against the towpath alongside small wooden huts and deck chairs and sleeping pets.”
So begins the short story, ‘The Cyclist in the Canal’, a few pages that tell of an imagined encounter between two couples and a less than considerate cyclist on the towpath of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.
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I was born and grew up in the north of England. From an early age, my parents were heavily involved in Scouting, so I spent many weekends and school holidays camping and sailing. My family holidays were spent in the north west of Scotland. I suppose this is where I get my love of wildlife and countryside. My writing started one day as we walked along the canal towpath with our dog. The idea came to me of a very small magical canal boat that was huge on the inside…
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