During a few years in the late 1940s and early 1950s Robert Longden took a remarkable set of photographs of the narrow boat community at Hawkesbury Stop - the main meeting point for those who worked the Midlands canals. The images are of a close community and represent its members in a very intimate way, at work, at play, in their domestic affairs, and as they lived on the paired and single colourful narrow boats. They illustrate the close relationship between all ages and types within the community, and the dramatic boat shapes and infrascape of this rural and industrial area. Sonia Rolt, who herself worked the canals during the period and knew the photographer, provides an introduction, which details how Robert Longden came to this passionate involvement. It also sets the photographs in the context of their time, the last period when the narrow boats could be said to play a serious part in transporting goods in quantity. Informative captions identify the scenes before you. Providing a rare insight into the community who worked the waterways when it was still a way of life for many, this book will appeal not only to canal enthusiasts, but to anyone interesting in Britain's social and industrial heritage.

One clear morning in May, Nick Thorpe left his Edinburgh flat, ducked off the commuter route and hitched a ride aboard a little white canal boat, heading west towards the sea. It was the first mutinous step in a delightful boat-hopping odyssey that would take him 2500 miles through Scotland's canals, lochs and coastal waters, from the industrial Clyde to the scattered islands of Viking Shetland. Writing with characteristic humour and candour, the award-winning author of EIGHT MEN AND A DUCK plots a curiously existential voyage, inspired by those who have left the warm hearth for the promise of a stretched horizon. Whether rowing a coracle with a chapter of monks, scanning for the elusive Nessie, hitting the rocks with Captain Calamity or clinging to the rigging of a tall ship, Thorpe weaves a narrative that is by turns funny and poignant - a nautical pilgrimage for any who have ever been tempted to try a new path just to see where it might take them. Part travelogue, part memoir, ADRIFT IN CALEDONIA is a unique and affectionate portrait of a sea-fringed nation - and of the drifter's quest to belong.

The development of Birmingham into a major modern industrial city can be said to have begun in 1772 with the opening of its first canal. At that time Birmingham was a small and largely rural town with a growing manufacturing base. The growth of manufacturing within the town, however, was severely constrained by the lack of a cheap, reliable and efficient means of transport for the goods it produced. These difficulties were largely overcome by the building of the canal, in that it provided a cheap and efficient means of transport to convey the town's manufactured goods to markets beyond its boundaries. The why, when and how this first canal came to be built is explored in this detailed and highly referenced account. It tells the fascinating story of how a small group of innovative, determined and ambitious entrepreneurs joined together to plan and secure its construction, and thereby also secure the City's future progress and prosperity.

Thoroughly revised, with all new photographs, this latest edition of a guide first published in 1983 has been increased in size from 112 page to 128 pages and features a square backed spine with sewn sections for added durability. Featuring the popular 'Warwickshire Ring' cruising circuit, this guide includes coverage of the Grand Union Canal between Stoke Bruerne and Birmingham, the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal, the Coventry Canal, the oxford Canal between Hawkesbury and Napton, the Ashby Canal, the Stratford on Avon Canal, and the Worcester & Birmingham Canal between Tardebigge and Birmingham.

The Ouse reaches into the heart of Yorkshire from the Humber Estuary. Until the 1980s, loaded barges made the challenging journey from Hull to Selby, bearing bulk cargoes for the mills of the town. The bargees had to be tough and resourceful; physically strong enough to handle their craft, wise enough to combat the rivers shifting currents and savvy enough to deal with those supplying short measure. Laurie Dews of Selby worked the Ouse from 1937 to 1987, and is now the only ,man remaining with first-hand experience of a lost way of life. In this book, "River Ouse Bargeman", Lauries words of wit and wisdom give a skippers eye view of a barge loaded to the gunwales fighting upstream, unloading at the mill and drifting back with the tide. Laurie spins many a yarn about a bargemans social life, too. His first-hand account includes the mysterious river crafts of singling out and penning up, the tricks and tell tales to show where the ever-shifting river channel lay and the camaraderie of life in the close-knit watery world. In this book, alongside Lauries account, there is a factual commentary, illustrated by many images from Lauries collection dating back over a century, and extracts from official documents and maps.

In this study of Akron's Cascade Locks, canal historian Jack Gieck examines the story of this remarkable lock system, including a look at early-nineteenth-century entrepreneurs who exploited the precipitous terrain to found one of the first industrial centers in the American Midwest. A steep staircase of sixteen locks was required to raise canal boats 149 feet in a single mile in order to reach the Akron Summit - the highest point on the 309-mile-long Ohio & Erie Canal. But what was considered by some to be an impossible feat of engineering represented a commercial opportunity for others, beginning with Dr. Eliakim Crosby, who built a two-mile millrace from a dam on the Little Cuyahoga River at Middlebury to his Stone Mill at Lock 5 on the canal. After turning Crosby's millstones, the water became the Cascade Race, flowing down the steep slope parallel to the canal, giving rise to more than a dozen industries, including several iron furnaces, a foundry, a woolen mill, a furniture factory, a distillery, several grist mills, and two rubber plants - all of them turned by waterpower. And they shipped their products to markets from New York to New Orleans via the canal running by their back doors. Early Akron's ""Industrial Valley"" is illustrated with photographs from the author's collection and the archives of the Canal Society of Ohio, the Ohio Historical Society, the University of Akron, and the Cascade Locks Park Association. It contains a guide for Canalway hikers and bikers on the towpath through Akron's Cascade Locks Park with original maps by Chuck Ayers. This book will be welcomed by historians and engineers as well as by the many who find the surviving canals to be fascinating symbols of Ohio's heritage.

For centuries, men dreamed of cutting a canal across the Florida peninsula. Intended to reduce shipping times, it was championed in the early twentieth century as a way to make the mostly rural state a center of national commerce and trade. Rejected by the Army Corps of Engineers as ""not worthy,"" the project received continued support from Florida legislators. Federal funding was eventually allocated and work began in the 1930s, but the canal quickly became a lightning rod for controversy. Steven Noll and David Tegeder trace the twists and turns of the project through the years, drawing on a wealth of archival and primary sources. Far from being a simplistic morality tale of good environmentalists versus evil canal developers, the story of the Cross Florida Barge Canal is a complex one of competing interests amid the changing political landscape of modern Florida. Thanks to the unprecedented success of environmental citizen activists, construction was halted in 1971, though it took another twenty years for the project to be canceled. Though the land intended for the canal was deeded to the state and converted into the Cross Florida Greenway, certain aspects of the dispute - including the fate of Rodman Reservoir - have yet to be resolved.

The English canal network becomes increasingly popular and widely used each year. The main aim of this book is to explain how everything works - from locks and lifts, to tunnels and towpaths. Stan Yorke, a life-long narrow boat enthusiast, explains in an easy-to-understand manner the story of the canals. In this he is ably assisted by his son Trevor's superb drawings and diagrams. The book is divided into three clear sections. The first describes the history of the canals, the second looks at their structures and features, and the third suggests special sites of interest around the country, which can be visited by foot or by boat.

My Life On A Narrowboat explores real life aboard a canal boat on the UK waterways.It captures the experience of living aboard by using emotion and humour in equal amounts to suit the individual topic.Designed to de-mystify the culture from working boats to holiday craft, this book will capture the feelings of anyone who has ever watched a lock being worked or a boater escaping from the world.An unmissable and enlightening experience throughout.

The Cromford Canal was a bold undertaking, linking the Derwent and Upper Erewash valleys to the main canal system of England. Collieries, ironworks, mills, limestone and gritstone quarries all flourished alongside it. Although penetrating the southern part of the Peak District, William Jessop's engineering genius ensured that the canal passed thirteen miles through this hilly terrain without a single lock. As a result there is some spectacular scenery in the upper reaches as it contours along the steep side of the Derwent valley. Today, the historical importance of the Cromford Canal has been recognised by the inclusion of its top section in the UNESCO Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site - the only canal in the UK to gain such an accolade.

Written in an engaging, conversational style, Rivers Revealed combines the author s lifelong love of America s waterways with practical and historic information gathered from his three decades as a professional riverlorian for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company in New Orleans. A modern-day Huck Finn, Jerry Hay spins yarns laced with personal anecdotes on such topics as navigating 500 miles of the Wabash River, the trials and tribulations of building a sternwheeler, "reading" the river, how to plan your own river adventure, a hair-raising but humorous river rescue, an unforgettable goose named Gilligan, the language of the rivers and riverboats, early to present-day river navigation, and much, much more. A book for all who love Mark Twain, these river adventures will entertain the landlubber and engage the boating enthusiast."

L.T.C. Rolt's fame was born from his unique ability to produce works of literature from subject matter seemingly ill suited to such treatment - engineering, canals, railways, steam engines, agricultural machinery, vintage cars - such as in his classic biographies of Brunel, Telford, Trevithick and the Stephensons, and in his superbly written volumes of autobiography. In Landscape with Machines Rolt told the story of his youth and his subsequent training as an engineer. That book ended with the fulfilment of his dream to convert the narrow boat Cressy into a floating home in which he could travel the then neglected waterways of England and, he hoped, earn his living as a writer. Landscape with Canals takes up the story at this point. It tells of voyages through the secret green water-lanes of England and Wales, and of the beginning of his writing career with the publication of his celebrated first book, Narrow Boat. The underlying theme of Landscape with Machines was the conflict between Rolt's love for the English landscape and his life-long fascination with machines. In this sequel the same conflict is apparent yet we see how it was at least partly resolved. This is the testament of a man who has given literary shape to the history of the Industrial Revolution and who had a unique gift for imparting to others his knowledge, his enthusiasm and his love of life.

Twenty years have passed since the Rochdale Canal reopened following a restoration scheme that faced almost impossible hurdles. One of three commercial waterways across the Pennines, the canal links the industrial North West and North East, flowing through mill towns, beneath dramatic bridges and traverses spectacular hilly scenery. Its ninety-one locks present a strenuous challenge for boaters, while it has become popular with walkers, cyclists, houseboat residents and casual sailors. The revival of the canal has helped to bring new life to the towns and villages along its route. This book tracks its 32-mile length, telling its story in colour through historians, canals users, lock keepers and all those who today utilise the canal in ways its originators never conceived.

'Haywood imprints his inimitable humour on his descriptions of the people and places he meets along the way.' BBC Countryfile magazine 'He conjures up a picture of a different world, filled with interesting and eccentric people. A cross-section of the best of middle England, in fact.' The Oxford Times Steve Haywood has been cruising the inland waterways for fifty years, and has amassed a following of readers keen to hear about his travelling tales on Britain's beautiful canals and rivers. His previously published books - Narrowboat Dreams, One Man and a Narrowboat, Too Narrow to Swing a Cat and Narrowboat Nomads - have all been hugely enjoyed by those with a desire for a narrowboat narrative told in Steve's witty, charming style. Tales from the Tillerman is Steve's tribute to Britain's canals, rivers and countryside and a celebration of Britishness in all its eccentric glory. Unlike Steve's previous titles, which have each focussed on one particular journey that Steve has taken, Tales from the Tillerman is casting the net wider and drawing from his full fifty years of experience, recounting the many hair-raising escapades he's had up and down the country and reflecting on how the country and the cruising landscape has changed in those fifty years. Anecdotes and light-hearted rants aplenty, mixed with some tall tales and a smattering of the nostalgic, in Tales from the Tillerman you'll be thoroughly entertained as a middle-aged man (oh, go on then, an old one) reflects on his long love affair with boats and waterways, contemplating their importance to his life and how they've changed it.

In the early years of the Industrial Revolution, canals formed the arteries of Britain. Most waterways were local concerns, carrying cargoes over short distances and fitted into regional groups with their own boat types linked to the major river estuaries. This new history of Britain's canals starts with the first Roman waterways, moving on to their golden age in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and ends with the present day, describing the rise and fall of canal building and use in the UK. It tells the story of the narrow boats and barges borne by the canals, and the boatmen who navigated them as well as the wider tale of waterway development through the progress of civil engineering. Replete with beautiful photographs, this a complete guide to some of the most accessible and beautiful pieces of Britain's heritage.

This entertaining andinformative book will be of practical benefit to all who discover the historicUnion Canal and the Forth & Clyde Canal, whether walking, cycling, boatingor visiting the Falkirk Wheel or the Kelpies in Scotland. CanalsAcross Scotland provides detailed towpath information, suggests what tosee and do along the way and in the towns passed. The book is full offascinating historical background, knowledgeable descriptions, practicalinformation, good stories and is beautifully illustrated. Side trips to theAntonine Wall, which stretches from the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde, countryparks or to towns like Linlithgow, Falkirk, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch, often bycircular walks, are also described. The canals are forleisurely, timeless exploring during any season and this updated guide will bean essential companion. Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE

A hilarious, true story of life-change, no going back, 40th birthdays and mid-life crisis. Follow the adventures of a husband and wife (plus two small children) as they take a barge through the French canals towards the Bourgogne and Canal du Midi - with The Mediterranean and Spain beckoning. Damian Horner is scared that fifteen years in advertising have turned him into a bastard. As he approaches his fortieth birthday, he wants to see if he can be a good husband and a good father before it's too late. Siobhan, his wife, would like to find out too but has other worries. Do marriage and kids mean she's now trapped in a world of suburban domesticity? It takes a miserable day and a bottle of wine to change everything. Suddenly Damian and Siobhan decide to throw their lives in the air and escape to the French canals, taking with them their son Noah who is two years old and can barely talk, and their daughter India who is one and cannot walk. Told in two voices, we hear both sides of their story and get the whole truth as Damian and Siobhan describe coming to terms with themselves and their life on board an old fishing boat in France with no space, no fridge, no charts, no deadlines and no flushing toilet.

Cruising French Waterways has rapidly become the leading descriptive guide to the astonishingly varied network of rivers and canals that penetrate almost every region of France. Winner of the Thomas Cook Guide Book Award, it is full of fascinating information on the history and commercial activities of each area, as well as the historical sites, chateaux and scenic attractions of the many villages and towns which await discovery by water. Practical details include the maps and guides available for each area, maximum craft dimensions, bankside facilities, moorings, repair yards, shops, restaurants, fuel and water sources, waterways museums and wine regions. Beautifully illustrated, the fourth edition covers all recently restored waterways and explains newly introduced requirements for licenses and personal qualifications. 'So comprehensive, it is now the standard work on the waterways of France' Waterways 'Handsome...beautifully illustrated' Sunday Telegraph

The "Edmund Fitzgerald," a colossal ore carrier, had been fighting her way through a pounding November storm on Lake Superior. Then the "Fitz"'s radar went out, and she started to take on water. Despite gale-force winds and thirty-foot seas, there was no reason to think the "Fitz" wouldn't find safe harbor at Whitefish Point, Michigan. The last words from the "Fitz"'s captain, Ernest McSorley, was "We are holding our own." By all indications, the crew had no idea they were in mortal danger before they plunged to Lake Superior's bottom with no chance to call for help.

Michael Schumacher relates in vivid detail the story of the "Edmund Fitzgerald," her many years on the waters of the Great Lakes, the fateful final day, the search efforts and investigation, as well as the speculation and controversy that followed in the wake of the disaster. A fitting tribute to one of the largest ships to have sailed the Great Lakes and the men who tragically lost their lives, "Mighty Fitz "provides a comprehensive look at the most legendary shipwreck on America's inland waters.

At seventy-five, Terry and Monica Darlington had done everything they could think of doing, including starting a business and becoming athletes and running a literary society.Lately they had become boating adventurers and Terry a bestselling writer. But in their Midlands canal town in November, life was looking dull and short on surprises. Then their famous canal boat was destroyed by fire. Within a few days they had bought a new one and soon headed north in the Phyllis May 2 - to Liverpool, Lancaster, the Pennines and Wigan Pier. Terry recorded the journey, and alongside it the story of his life and his marriage and his dog Jim, with his broken ear like a flat cap, and Monica's dog Jess, known with heartbreaking reason as the Flying Catastrophe. Funny, affecting and beautifully told, this is a story that brims with incident and excitement, and is full of the famous and fascinating people the Darlingtons have met - a story of an adventurous life well lived.