Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 23:03:41 +0100 From: Chris Kenway Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Newsgroups: canals Subject: First Trip of The Season (Long) I returned to Merchant at the end of April 2000 to find her looking rather splendid in her new livery of green, red and cream. At last she really belonged wholly to us as out names where embellished along the both sides as is the word London to signify our place of origin. I had arrived ahead of Pat to refit the cratch cover and other items removed to facilitate the painting and to get her 'ship shape' ready to receive Pat, Sam and our 10 year old niece Jessica who would be joining us for a brief 'shake down' cruise over the May bankholiday. I collected Pat, Sam and Jessica from Coventry station on the Thursday afternoon and we went straight to Merchant and got ourselves on board. As we left Braunston we stopped at Mountbatten owned and operated by Mel and Ivor Bachelor to take on fuel and coal and then headed off down the North Oxford canal towards Coventry. We moored a short distance from Braunston still in sight of it's beautiful spired church perched on the top of the hill overlooking the countryside. This spire has been a landmark for years to boaters approaching Braunston and contains a wonderful set of bells that ring every Thursday and Sunday without fail. Many ex boaters are buried here, as Braunston has always been one of the main transit points of the canal system through which boats would pass from London on their way up north. We spent the late afternoon and evening packing our cloths away and doing some cleaning as Merchant whilst looking good on the outside was rather dusty inside after being 'closed down' for some six weeks. In the field next to us were about 20 or so young heifers who came over to study us. We sat and watched them as they watched us chewing the cud in the evening sun. It was not long before we remembered why we had left London as we sat there with the thrush in full song and mother duck with her ducklings glided past issuing abrupt quacks to keep her children in line. Jessica who being only 10 found the heifers fascinating, the baby ducks a novelty but was none to bothered about anything else. I suppose it is asking a bit much to expect a child of 10 get excited about being in the country. We left our overnight moorings early in the morning, about 9:00am well it's early for us in our new lifestyle. The sun was up and it promised to be another fine day. As we gently glided along the canal on our way to Hillmorton Locks we watched more ducks with their new families and the occasional swan still sporting a few of last years gray feathers from it's previous years juvenile existence. As we wound our way towards the locks we started to see the first glimpses of the BT masts that were previously used for transatlantic radio transmissions. Once through the locks we stopped to take on water taking the opportunity to walk back to canal side shop located at the last of the three locks. It is here that I came across and purchased a wonderful book called Narrow Boat by L.T.C. Rolt. This book was published in 1945 and recalls Tom's (as he was called) and his wife Angela's trip on the canals spanning the previous 7 years including the war years. Here was a man who had done previously so long ago what I am attempting to do now, travel as much of the UK canal system as is possible. His book can, in my eye's, be nothing more than a masterpiece. Not only does it give a very clear insight into the canals and the people using them in those days but is so wonderfully scripted that you can both see, taste and smell what he writing about. People just don't write like this anymore, I include myself. Tom later went on to form the Inland Waterways Association with Charles Hadfield, Robert Aickerman and Frank Eyre whom between them pushed, bullied and cajoled people to ensure that our canal heritage would stay alive so that we all can enjoy it's use today. After filling with water we moved off to continue our cruise taking time to exchange pleasantries with our friends John and his wife aboard 'Stokie'. They, like Ivor and his wife, travel the canal system supplying diesel and coal and are also a source of valuable information about what might lay ahead. These people still like their predecessors, ply their trade in age old tradition living as Number Ones (people who trade and own their boat). The live in what we would consider cramped conditions of a boatman's cabin. This cabin takes only about 10ft of the boat. It is their home. They cook, sleep wash and dress here. The fitted furniture is designed to fold and move creating different configurations depending on the time of day and the use required i.e. dinning room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. It should be remembered that in olden days the motor as it would be called would tow a buttie. This would be nearly the same in layout complete with boatman's cabin and would be steered by the wife. Whole families would live on these boats. Lack of schooling of course meant that most would be illiterate but what they lacked in reading and writing they made up for in many other ways. This made them equal if not better educated to the ways of their world than those who live ashore to theirs. We skirted Rugby and it's industrial estates and traveling across the short aqueduct above the river Avon. We then arrived at Newbold on Avon now a suburb Rugby. Tom on his travels remarked that Newbold was fast becoming a suburb of Rugby back in the early forties. We went for a meal at the Boat public house, the same pub that Tom visited so long ago. I think he would turn in his grave if he visited it now as he described of having "a simple lunch of bread and cheese". They now do typical bar meals with a restaurant attached to the side, if you asked for a simple meal of bread and cheese these days I think they would show you the door. The next day we moved off and traveled through Newbold Tunnel much to the delight of Jessica who proceeded, as only children can, to whistle listening to the echoes. As we came out a carpet of green on the canal immediately met us. This fine covering of waterborne weed opened as our bows pushed through it only to gently re-assemble some ten meters behind us giving the impression that nothing had traveled this way for some considerable time. Travelling past T.F. Yates yard at Bridge 44 we spied the historical steam powered narrow boat Monarch which we saw last year being steered by David Suchet (the actor who played Poiret on TV) at the Braunston show. We continued north west to the old Brinklow Arm that is now disused, and turned to make our way back to Braunston. We stopped for Sunday lunch at Masters Bridge in Rugby and went to the Harvester there. This was a special treat for Jessica who virtually ate them out of house and home. After lunch we continued our gentle meander back through Hillmorton Locks where Jessica spent some of her holiday money on some miniature toy dogs with boaters neck scarves. She decided on these after having seen Sam parading so proudly with his neck scarve. We kept on going until we arrived at Willoughby Wharf were we stopped for the night. The next day arrived carrying yet more wonderful sunshine so we took the opportunity to unpack the folding bikes and go for a ride into Willoughby and the surrounding countryside. It was so pleasant to be able to take our time traversing these small country roads not having to worry too much about the traffic. We past field upon field of sheep with their young lambs running and jumping in the spring sun. Sadly like all good things they must come to an end and we returned to Merchant, packed the bikes away and continued the final part of our voyage back to Braunston. We arrived back in Braunston early Tuesday afternoon packed our belongings and sadly left Merchant to return to London and deliver Jessica back to her mum and dad. What tales she will have to tell her friends at school on the Wednesday. As we drove out of the car park I glanced over my shoulder at Merchant with almost a tear in my eye for it bought home what I had been missing so much. Then my sadness changed to a smile as I knew for shure I would be returning in a few days with the rest of my 'family' (our cats Smudge, Boots and Tabby) to start what I hope will be the greatest adventure of my life. Sorry about the length but I hope you enjoyed it. Chris Kenway ---