This is an uninterrupted (almost, there are a couple of camcorder battery changes and a re-fuelling stop) video recording from the camera on the bow of a narrowboat as it travelled along the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire from Gayton Junction to Weedon Bec.
A long-standing viewer of this channel was kind enough to offer me a day trip on her boat as she came along the Grand Union canal from Gayton to Weedon, so of course I jumped at the chance.
Rescuing hundreds of thousands of stranded Allied troops in World War 2, the Little Ships of Dunkirk are little miracles. Several of these historic vessels were on display at the Thames Traditional Boat Festival at Henley-on-Thames. I went along to have a look at all the spectacle and to hitch a ride on Little Ship “Aquabelle”.
Opened originally in 1811, the Standedge (pronounced “Stannedge”, apparently) canal tunnel is a legendary boating experience at 5km (3.5m) long and hundreds of feet underground. I was lucky enough to join narrowboaters on a Pennine Cruise organised by the Huddersfield Canal Society as they went through this amazing tunnel.
On Saturday 25th June 2022, around 80 narrowboats took part in a colourful and noisy parade through Birmingham to mark the city hosting this year’s Commonwealth Games. This is my record of that day.
On the canals of the UK, the speed limit is 4mph so how would I fare when given the chance to do over 30 knots on the open sea? An invitation from legendary boat-tour channel AQUAHOLIC gave me the chance to find out, on a day in Devon with Mr Nick Burnham himself.
On a sunny day at the Anderton Boat Lift, I was delighted to have the opportunity to chat with Katherine Hutchinson who operates the steam-powered narrowboat Emily Anne.
Every year, the Canal & River Trust replace a load of worn-out lock gates across the 200+ year-old canals of England and Wales. But how do you lift a 4-tonne chunk of wood out of its bindings, on waterway, often with limited room to manoeuvre? With a crane on a boat, that’s how.
As part of the 200th anniversary celebrations for the Union Canal in Scotland, running from Edinburgh to Falkirk, two flotillas were organised over two days in May. I joined both, through a bit of logistical effort involving my campervan, and this is the second of my videos of that trip.
Throughout 2022, Scottish Canals is holding a series of events to mark the 200th anniversary of the Union Canal which links Edinburgh to Falkirk, and I went along for a two-day flotilla cruise to mark the occasion. This is Part 1 (of 2) of that trip.