Canals - 15th Jan 2018

World Canals: Inland Navigation Past and Present
by Charles Hadfield

I was putting the above book away on a shelf in the shop when I got sidetracked by the picture on the front. It made me think about my holiday last year. We booked a week on a narrowboat (the name gives you a clue that it's just a bit narrower than a barge) in the UK. It was a wonderful experience, hard to describe but very addictive. The boat moves at a snail's pace on full throttle, to the point where dog walkers, toddlers on tricycles, and even those on zimmer frames overtake you on the tow path without hurrying and disappear into the distance as you putter along. You enter another world with a very different pace of life and I really highly recommend it.

However, back to the subject at hand, the above book is about the use of rivers and canals for transport and pleasure. It tells the history of inland waterways and their carrying of freight and passengers over centuries. It will be a fascinating read either before or after your own barge or narrowboat holiday!