Author: David Johns

Vlog 101: Straight Cut

Posted on July 28, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

An episode in which I spot an escaped cow, a swan hinders my progress and I send a hireboater to their doom.

Vlog 100A: Olgv

Posted on July 20, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

This is NOT A VLOG. It’s a compilation of pretty canal scenes with no captions, text, commentary, music, annotations or anything like that. It’s deliberately like that. If you liked my previous “not a vlogs”, I hope you like this one. If you didn’t, you definitely won’t. If you think it would be better with music, then please feel free to put your favourite CD on while you watch :-)

Vlog 100: Red Roses Too

Posted on July 17, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

In which I continue my return trip to Middlewich but then do a 90 degree right turn onto the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union canal, get some fuel and fenders from a fuelboat, go all the way along to Barbridge and turn left onto the Shroppie, and past the entrance to the Llangollen canal.

Vlog 99: Going Down

Posted on July 8, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Several people suggested that as I was going all the way up to Middlewich I ought to go that little bit further north and visit the Anderton Boat Lift, an amazing engineering structure dating from 1875, which lifts boats from the Trent and Mersey canal down to the River Weaver and vice versa. So I did.

Vlog 98: A Middlewich Cuckoo

Posted on July 1, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Taking the narrowboat up to and through Middlewich and out the other side.

Vlog 97: Prop Shafted

Posted on June 25, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Continuing my narrowboat journey on the Trent and Mersey canal, tackling the many locks of “Heartbreak Hill” as you start heading away from Kidsgrove and out into the countryside through Rode Heath and Hassall Green.

Vlog 96: Scarecastle

Posted on June 20, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

It’s finally time for me to face me greatest canal tunnel fear and go through the (almost 3,000 yard long) Harecastle tunnel. It’s wide enough only for one boat and has partially collapsed in the middle so headroom is extremely limited and all boats are checked before they enter (and counted in and out by dedicated tunnel-keepers). Here goes!

Vlog 95: Stoked

Posted on June 12, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

After spending the night at the village of Barlaston, I’m ready to go through the substantial town of Stoke-on-Trent, past the CRT facilities yard at Etruria and on towards the southern portal of the infamous Harecastle tunnel.

Vlog 94: Getting Stoned

Posted on June 11, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

Continuing my journey up the Trent & Mersey canal, this time I go through Stone in Stafforshire and its assorted locks before arriving at Barlaston for the night ahead of the trip through Stoke on Trent the next day.

Vlog 93: Shugadelic, baby

Posted on June 6, 2017February 24, 2024 by David Johns

In this vlog, I move on from Fradley Junction, take a sharp 90 degree turn to the right and start heading North West, still on the Trent and Mersey canal, up towards Shugborough. En route, I get a haircut in Rugeley and despair of the plastic waste drifting along the canal.