News, views and items of interest
by Steve Haywood.
Casting aside the road maps Steve escapes to a different England on his narrowboat and cruises slowly through a landscape unchanged for centuries, visiting picturesque towns and canal festivals.
But the new member of his crew, Kit, is an untidy bundle of fur with all the attitude you would expect from a ‘sarf lunnun’ cat, and determined to keep him on his toes.
Soft back. 312 pages. 12.9cms x 19.8cms approx.
Price £8.99p and can be ordered here.
This fascinating book delves into the forgotten history of the Midlands and border canal infrastructure, including the Grand Union, Staffs & Worcs, Stourbridge, Stratford, Trent & Mersey and Worcs & Birmingham canals amongst others.
This illustrated history recognises the skill of the engineers who designed and built them and had such an influence on the waterways in this region.
Price £16.99p and can be ordered here.
The Huddersfield Narrow Canal by Keith Gibson & David Finnis.
Two hundred years in the life of a Pennine waterway. A thorough history of the building, use, decline and restoration of the canal, well illustrated with many contemporary photographs, some rare.
£12.99p and can be ordered here.
Holidaying on the canals in the late 1920s was confined mainly to a few eccentrics and enthusiasts, even though much of the canal system was still accessible and operational at that time.
The ninth in the children’s series of books about the narrowboat Muddy Waters and his friends, written by D.H. Clacher with illustrations by Stephen Preedy.
This story is about Dudley being awarded the Golden Windlass in Birmingham.
The price is £3.99p and can be found here.
I received this information too late for it to appear in yesterday’s newsletter.
Leo McNeir’s latest novel, the eighth in his Marnie Walker series, is to be launched on 16th April.
The book launch will be at an event arranged by a group of Leo’s readers at Cosgrove Village Hall, Bridge Street, Cosgrove, Northants, MK19 7JH. This is close to the Grand Union Canal and some people will be arriving by boat for the “Sally Ann Rally”.
The gathering will start at 4.30 with light refreshments and time to chat with Leo and others. This will be followed at 6.30 with a Sally Ann Supper picnic in the hall. Bring your own food and drink for the picnic.
This is the eighth book in the series about Muddy Waters and his friends, and this one introduces the dredger Cedric and the finding of a bomb during one of his dredging jobs.
Cedric and the Bomb. Price £3.99p.
Published to accompany a four part BBC television series with Julia Bradbury walking four different canals. They are the Llangollen Canal, Caledonian Canal, Worcester & Birmingham Canal and the Kennet & Avon Canal.