Waterways World

"Ceci n'est pas un pub"

A news report in the North Scotland Press & Journalshows a curious, and slightly worrying, take on the British Waterways/Scottish & Newcastle "Waterside Pub Partnership".

The Caley Inn is a canalside pub, owned by BW, beside the Caledonian Canal in Inverness. According to a local pub review site, it was an unreconstructed local of the sort that was once so common on the canals. urbarred.com's reviewer says: "I ventured in here once and there were two fishermen dressed as if they'd come straight out ofThe Perfect Storm.... For very old men who drink ales."

It is now up for sale by Scottish & Newcastle, according to a report in the Press & Journal. The best offer over 100,000 secures.

But - and here's the catch - if you buy it, S&N won't let you run it as a pub. As the "Scottish" half of their name might suggest, they already have several (non-canalside) pubs in the area, and they don't want the competition. According to the Press & Journal, they hope someone will take it on as a restaurant instead.

To recap: Scottish & Newcastle enters into joint venture with BW; they close a canalside pub; they then sell the property on, but forbid anyone from reopening it as a pub. One fewer pub on the waterways.

Of course, the Caledonian is a long way from most WWreaders and it might all seem rather remote - but what if the same happened at one of the otherWaterside Pub Partnership locations, such as the Shroppie Fly in Audlem or the Three Locks at Soulbury?

Some happier pub news: we understand that the former BW office at Lapworth, by the junction of the Stratford and Grand Union canals, is set to be turned into a pub. Lapworth is already supplied with good pubs (the Navigation is a particular favourite of mine!) and it will be interesting to see how plans develop.

2009 National venue chosen

An imaginative choice for next year's IWA National Festival has been announced - Redhill on the River Soar.

On one of Britain's most attractive (but under cruised) rivers, and with plenty of restorations nearby to provide the campaigning element, it could be an inspired choice of location - and it's near some of Britain's biggest marinas (Sawley and Willington), so could attract high attendance. But watch out for queues at Kegworth Deep Lock!

More details in April's WW.

Red diesel - details announced

The Government has announced how leisure boat fuel will be taxed from November.

The end of the "red diesel" arrangement, whereby boaters can fill up with special low-tax fuel, was announced by the European Commission last year despite heavy lobbying by boating groups.

But according to today's announcement, when the new regime comes into effect on 1st November, the fuel will still be red - just taxed at the full rate. This means boaters will not have to clean tanks and marinas will not have to replace their pumps. The same fuel will be sold at different rates to leisure (full tax) and commercial (low tax) boaters.

In a welcome concession, leisure boaters will also be able to claim a discount to recognise that some fuel is typically used in heating their boats and to charge domestic batteries. This will mean that boaters with diesel heating will not need to fit a second tank. The exact details of this are yet to be worked out.

More details in April's WW(and no, this isn't our April fool!).

BW introduces London angling permits

A sign of things to come?

Boaters have long resented that anglers get their use of the canals for much less than the cost of a boat licence. Though anglers have to pay an annual rod licence, all of this income goes to the Environment Agency, none to British Waterways.

Now British Waterways, in the London area, is to ask anglers to pay. Today's announcement reads:

"From 1 April 2008 British Waterways will be asking anglers visiting its central London waterways to purchase an annual angling permit. The permit will cost 20 for adults and 10 for juniors (under 16), pensioners (65 and over) and those registered disabled.

"Waterways where this new permit will apply include the Regent's Canal, Grand Union Paddington Arm (except Scrubs Lane to Ladbroke Grove Bridge), Grand Union Canal Main Line from Brentford Lock to Bridge 200 in Hayes, Limehouse Cut and Hertford Union Canal. Angling on other stretches is managed by a number of angling clubs.

"Louise Fishleigh, leisure development manager for British Waterways London, explains: 'Over 220,000 angling visits are made to our London waterways each year. Mainly these visits are made formally through angling clubs but large stretches of our central London waterways are not leased to any clubs and so we are introducing this low-cost angling permit system to formalise angling in these areas. Our patrol officers and waterway supervisors and operatives will act as bailiffs, checking permits.'"

BW finalises licence rises at 8.3%

British Waterways has announced that this year's licence fees are to rise by 8.3% - less than the 12.4% originally proposed (which would have been a 9% rise plus inflation). Today's press statement reads:

British Waterways (BW) has published the results of a three month public consultation into boat licence fees in England and Wales. As a result of responses from a range of boaters and boating organisations, together with acknowledgement of a downturn in the wider economy, BW will introduce lower than anticipated licence fee increases for 2008. The 10% prompt payment discount which benefits many fully paid-up boaters will be retained, whilst further measures to crack down on licence evasion, including a new penalty for late payment, will be introduced.

The boat licence fees applicable from April 2008 will be an 8.3% increase for private boat licences (rather than the previously proposed 12.4% increase). Workboat and trade plate licences will also increase by 8.3%. Leisure business licences will rise by 3.3% in line with BW's cost inflation index, whilst a relative licence fee increase of 5.35% will apply to small traders and cargo carriers.

A number of further proposals put forward by respondents during the consultation that could impact upon boat licence fees for 2009 and beyond will now be the subject of further consideration with the British Waterways Advisory Forum.

Robin Evans, BW chief executive, comments: "The breadth and depth of submissions to the consultation were well argued and passionate. In the short term we've recognised the concerns about increasing cost pressures on the boating community by revisiting the licence fee increases for 2008 and in retaining the prompt payment discount which benefits many of our boating customers."

However in making the announcement, Robin acknowledged concerns voiced during the consultation about the requirement for BW to do more to tackle licence evasion which, having completed the recent National Boat Count at the end of 2007, has slipped back 1.3% and now stands at 10.4% (8.7% if those that pay within 28 days are excluded).

Robin continues: "I recognise that the vast majority of boaters are fully paid-up members of the waterways community and considerate of the increased costs incurred when craft licence fees aren't paid on time. It is only right, and in the best interests of the waterways, that we crack down on the minority of unlicensed boaters who are seemingly happy to ignore both their legal and moral obligation to buy a licence and contribute to the cost of maintaining the network."

Specific new measures to tackle licence evasion include proposals for a 130 fixed cost-related penalty charge for boaters not renewing their licence within one month of its expiry. In addition, greater investment in patrol staff and budget for legal and contractor costs has been allocated for 2008 and 2009, particularly in the South East and West Midlands which together accommodate over a third of the boats on BW's network.

"Our investment in enforcement has not kept pace with the recent growth in boating and particularly the increase in residential boating which has pushed up the cost of dealing with evasion, but our enforcement systems and procedures are sound. I am sure that with the further measures we are now adding, there will be a sustained improvement in performance over the coming months," adds Robin.

Commenting on licence fees for 2009 and beyond, Robin says: "Having set out our immediate plans for 2008, our attention will turn to the many suggestions made during the consultation that would impact licence fees from 2009. We will be inviting the BW Advisory Forum to take a closer look at these suggestions which range from creating a more transparent link between licence fees and improvements in services, to charging differing rates for continuously cruising and 'wide' boats.

"BW will also continue to look at other funding sources, including those local authorities who many boaters feel aren't shouldering their responsibilities for the considerable benefit their communities receive from well maintained waterways. We are building a relationship with the Local Government Association and plan to meet at director level with a number of key riparian councils to discuss funding over the coming year."

BW pulls out of Cotswolds restoration

British Waterways announced this morning that it is pulling out of the Cotswold Canals restoration - with potentially grave consequences for the project. It is blaming the decision on the need to find funds to repair the Monmouthshire & Brecon, which breached last year.

BW's statement reads:

British Waterways is today (4th February 2008) announcing its decision to withdraw from the Cotswold Canals Partnership from April 2008.

The move follows a review of funding commitments for the next financial year and the diversion of significant funds to progress the urgent first phase of a repair programme for the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in Wales, which is expected to cost in the region of 15 million over four years.

Announcing the news, Robin Evans, Chief Executive said: "We have thought long and hard over this decision and know it will disappoint our partners in the project. Ultimately, however, we have a finite pot of money and the needs of our existing waterways must take priority.Around 16 miles of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is currently closed and will require significant investment from us over the next 18 months as we undertake a massive repair programme to reopen it. These works are essential for those businesses and communities that depend upon and contribute to the canal and we are committed to getting it up and running in time for the 2009 cruising season."

While the failure of the lottery funding bid for the Cotswold Canals restoration (known as Phase 1B) was a major setback for project [WW note - this refers to the Big Lottery bid to connect to the Gloucester & Sharpness and Saul, not the Heritage Lottery-funded phase 1a], British Waterways remains optimistic that the restoration will be achieved in the future.

"We hope that the 1.5million we have invested in the project to date will help to lay the foundations for the canals ultimate restoration and reintegration with the national network, said Robin Evans. "In the meantime we will continue and complete the works at Oil Mills, expected at the end of April 2008, and shall work with the partnership to ensure an orderly handover of all the good work that has been achieved thus far so that it can provide maximum benefit to the remaining partners in the project."

The decision will not affect British Waterways involvement in other canal restoration projects which include: the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal; the Helix project in Grangemouth; the Bow Back Rivers in London; the Liverpool Link and; the Droitwich Canals.

More news as the story develops.

The world's deepest lock

In December 2005's Waterways World, we looked for the world's deepest lock - and found it at Oskemen, in Kazakhstan. Here's how we described it:

Oskemen is on a resurgent river route from northern China to Russia. Its rise of 40m-42m (around 138ft) is seven times the deepest on the British canal system.

Information on Kazakhstan's three river Ertis locks is hard to come by. Their tourist office doesn't answer e-mails, and the country's few websites are geared more towards Russian-speaking investors in heavy industry. But it is clear that, after a period of neglect in the 1990s, the country is now investing heavily to restore through passage on the river Ertis (or Irtysh) and replace its national cargo fleet.

Closed for several years, Oskemen or Ust-Kamenogorsk (its Russian name) was reopened to navigation in 2004. It provides passage around a vast hydro-electric dam. A new lock was opened at Shulbinsk earlier this year, narrowly missing out on a place in our list with a 24m rise (79ft). Bakhtarminsk completes the three.

Cargoes reflect the local industry: lead and zinc smelting, titanium and magnesium. We have not yet found any cruise operators - but we'd be delighted to hear from any readers who have.

We scoured the world to find a picture, but now, thanks to the wonders of Google's aerial photography, you can see it from the air. Click here for the close-up.

What are the chances of Terry (Narrow Dog) Darlington or Chris Coburn taking a narrowboat through, do you think?

Droitwich restoration gets go-ahead

The Droitwich Canals have finally received the green light for restoration works to start, with planning permission for the works finally being granted.

In the next few months, work will take place on the area of the Junction Canal around the M5, including a new lock into the River Salwarpe from the old line of the canal alongside Hanbury Road.

Restoration of the locks along the Barge Canal between Droitwich and the River Severn and the creation of a navigable tunnel under the A449 will take place during 2008. Making a section of the River Salwarpe navigable to replace the former Junction Canal between Vines Park and Swan Drive is planned towards the end of the programme in 2009.

British Waterways' James Thompson called it "a brilliant step forward", while Margaret Rowley, chairman of the Droitwich Canals Trust, said she was "delighted". The Waterways Trust is spearheading the remaining fundraising, with 1m to be found.

We'll have more details in March's WW.

The narrowboats are back at London

Last year's London Boat Show was an embarrassment for inland boaters, so it's reassuring to be able to say that this year's event is looking much healthier.

Theinlandsteel craft have moved from the main hall to the "marina" (read: dock) outside the ExCeL venue, making space for 14 boats wide and narrow. If you're buying a boat, there's more choice at Crick or the IWA National, but it's interesting that London has managed the best showing of hire-boats of any show.

Inside, of course, there's the usual selection of river cruisers including some good-value larger craft well suited to the Severn, Thames or Trent, and evergreens such as the 9,999 Shetland Family Four. The chandlery stalls were packed when we visited on Saturday but should be a bit quieter this week.

As with the Earls Court show in November, the ExCeL event isn't worth trekking from the far end of the kingdom, but a very enjoyable visit for boaters based in the southeast. It continues to Sunday: more details at their official site. We'll have a full report in our March issue.

Challenger Syndicateships ceases trading

Long-established shared ownership firm Challenger Syndicateships has entered administration.

The company administered one of the largest such operations on the canals, as well as a hire-fleet ("Challenger Stealth Hire"), and shared ownership ventures for sea-going boats and even sports cars.

It was run by Ed Rimmer, who first made his name at the Black Prince company. It, too, went into administration before being rescued by a new set of owners. Latterly he was also a member of the British Marine Federation board, helping to organise the inland feature at next week's London Boat Show.

Happy Christmas from the WW team

Christmas is a time for peace and contemplation, but there's been precious little of that in the WW office over the last week as we rush to get the first issue of the New Year ready for the printers. Yet we're still hoping to get the chance for a little festive boating and towpath walking... deadlines permitting!

In amongst all this, we've uploaded several months' worth of articles from 2001. There are hundreds more ready to go in the New Year, covering much of the past eight years of WW. We'll also be adding new features to the site such as our regular 'Picture of the Day' feature, so do stay tuned.

To all our readers, very best wishes of the season.

Have you seen this boat?

WW reader David Firman thinks that whoever stole his boat "must have been very determined".

L&S Emeraldis a 30ft Sea Otter, eight years old and green - or, at least, it was when it was stolen at the end of November, from Harefield Marina on the Grand Union. The theft appears to have been at night. The boat had no batteries at the time, leading to David's comment.

Sea Otters are, of course, made from aluminium - giving them a distinct appearance - and have an easily identifiable hull shape, with a rounded-off square stern.

If you see it, call PC Clayton at Hillingdon Police on 020 8246 1867; Phil Musk at Harefield Marina on 01895 822036; or David himself on 07980 013159. Boaters have an excellent record in tracking down stolen boats, as the theft of Hollyfrom Middlewich Narrowboats this spring demonstrated - let's not let this one get away.

Update:The boat has now been found - apparently just two miles from the marina, with blue paint all over it and the towpath.

A big news day

Three major waterway news stories have broken in a single day.

Last night, Oxford City Council's planning committee decided to refuse permission for a housing development at the Castlemill Boatyard.

British Waterways' decision to sell the site for redevelopment, halting its previous use as a boatyard, aroused much local opposition. Following a dramatic eviction last May (pictured), the site had been boarded up pending plans by developers Spring Residential - which have now been refused. The campaigners are jubilant, but Spring have not yet commented.

Big names including author Philip Pullman joined the campaign, comparing the housing plans to "finding a bird's nest and throwing a brick into it". At the committee meeting, the complainants objected to the lack of a boatyard, the shortage of affordable housing, and the appearance of the planned buildings.

Meanwhile, in the House of Commons, MPs were discussing waterway funding in a debate secured by Lichfield MP (and narrowboater) Michael Fabricant. You can read the transcript here.

Waterway Minister Jonathan Shaw refused to agree with Mr Fabricant's description of previous Minister Barry Gardiner as "a nincompoop", and implied that DEFRA would continue as the department responsible for British Waterways; but on future grant, he said "I am hopeful that the budget for BW will be broadly around flat cash for a three-year period".

Flat cash is Government-speak for "no rise, even inflation", making this not the worst that could be achieved though by no means the best. The IWA has already responded, with Chairman John Fletcher saying "I was pleased that the minister was able to confirm that he did not expect alleged further cuts to Defras budget to have a deteriorative effect on navigation authorities".

Finally, the much-awaited result was announced for the Big Lottery Fund's People's 50 Million contest (also known as Living Landmarks) - and the good news is that a waterway-related project is to scoop the cash.

Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, has won 50m for its Connect2 project. This comprises 79 schemes, including several new bridges over waterways and towpath improvements: a replacement for Riversdale Swingbridge on the Weaver, removing the first blockage on the Melton Mowbray Navigation, a new bridge at Diglis Lock in Worcester, towpath improvements on the Bridgewater, and several more. The decision was made by a TV-sponsored vote - and of the four projects competing, the Sustrans scheme won 42% of the vote.

The decision is a disappointment for the Black Country Urban Park, whose bid also promised great things for their local canals; and for the two other contenders, Sherwood Forest and the Eden Project. But there'll be some very happy faces in Northwich, Melton Mowbray, and elsewhere tonight!

The Earls Court Boat Show - should you go?

This weekend has seen the start of the week-long Earls Court Boat Show, an all-new event which conveniently reprises the venue once home to the London Boat Show - itself now departed for the ExCeL centre and the windswept Docklands.The London Boat Show proper has a very mixed record in catering for the inland waterways. Does this one fare any better?

WWwent along this weekend to find out. It's certainly an improvement over the dismal inland display at last year's "official" LBS. There's a modest selection of narrowboats, including some very interesting craft - notably Simpsons' tug & butty concept, where the cruiser stern can be detached from the 'unpowered' rest of the boat, and Maestermyn's novel 'love boat', designed for hirers seeking a romantic getaway!

The riverboat display also impresses more with its variety than its quantity. Alongside old favourites such as the Shetland Family Four (still only 9,999) and the Viking range are the elegant Interboat launches from Holland, rope edging and all, and some delightful Thames slipper launches. You can't help but contrast the fairly popular inland area with the coastal powerboat section, which is full of boats - notwithstanding the absence of big guys like Sunseeker and Fairline, whose dominance at ExCeL is rumoured to be one of the reasons for setting up this new show - but almost bereft of visitors.

The organisers say they are aiming to put the "show" back into boat shows, implicitly contrasting with the warehouse-like feel of ExCeL. Here they have succeeded. Features like a gallery of maritime art, a row of stands purporting to be Cowes High Street, and Royal Marines abseiling from the roof, give the show a sense of occasion. Sadly few of these are linked to the inland waterways, though there is the obligatory lock 'sculpture' that every show seems to have dragged out at one point, and the Guinness Bar is just across the way.

Should you go? With hand on heart, WWcan't recommend that Midlands boaters make the trek down to see a small selection of inland boats. But if you're in London anyway, do pop in, maybe taking advantage of the reduced entry after 4pm. Attendance on Saturday was low, but had picked up on Sunday, and next weekend can be expected to be busier.

All in all, a respectable start - let's hope it encourages the organisers of the other London show to buck their ideas up.

Is all publicity good publicity?

The Ashton Canal made a starring appearance in Coronation Street at the end of October.

But where the rest of TV is celebrating a waterway renaissance and airing property programmes about glamorous canalside flats, Corrie's canal remains a place of death and drownings. The plot is doubtless too byzantine to follow here, but the Manchester Evening News has a fair summary: "David drives his car into the canal at exactly the same spot where Richard Hillman tried to kill the entire Platt family. Meanwhile, in a nearby church, Sarah and Jason are in the middle of their marriage vows." According to a producer on the show, "I don't think we've done a more powerful hour of Coronation Street".

Fan website Corrieblog characterises the canal as "the Water of Death". They may have a point. Apart from the two episodes mentioned above, it cites Danny and Jamie fighting in the (surprisingly shallow) waterway; Steve and Vikram doing the same; Don Brennan driving a taxi into the water in another murder attempt; an "exploding canal boat"; Deirdre's husband being beaten to death; Angela Harris disposing of a murder weapon; and so on. As one poster drolly observes, "overall, not a place to be optimistic".

The location of this latest escapade was Portland Basin, the junction of the Ashton and Peak Forest - two BW-run canals. BW's staff newspaper reports that the filming took two days and "earned BW 5,000, money that will go back into the running of the canal network".

No-one would begrudge the cash-strapped BW a little extra income, of course. But is it worth it for such a negative portrayal of the canals - on what is, after all, Britain's most popular TV programme? To put the fee into context, the sponsorship deal for Coronation Street is worth an estimated 40,000 for each episode.

Another round of DEFRA cuts?

Over the past few weeks, British Waterways and the IWA have been making encouraging noises about DEFRA's new waterways minister, Jonathan Shaw. After the hapless Barry Gardiner was unceremoniously shuffled off to the back benches, here, they thought, is someone we can work with once again.

Then Saturday's Guardianbroke the story of another 300m in cuts to DEFRA's spending, and the truce was over.

WWunderstands that DEFRA, still reeling from the floods of last summer, is struggling to pay for the outbreaks of bird flu and foot-and-mouth. With no prospect of additional funds from the Treasury, it will be cutting the money it gives to its own agencies - and British Waterways is consistently cited at the top of the list, though thus far this appears to be press speculation rather than any concrete information.

The IWA is once again urging waterway users to write to their MPs, pointing out that BW is already struggling to cope with the flooding and the recent breach on the Mon & Brec (now expected to be closed for up to a year). What is becoming abundantly clear is that the waterways cannot go on like this. Is now the time for BW to extract itself from the dead hand of DEFRA?

The People's Millions - who should you vote for?

You might have thought that recent controversies would have sounded the death knell for TV voting, but ITV and the National Lottery don't think so. Together, they're running an enterprise called The People's 50 Millions - where viewers choose which of four projects will receive a 50m lottery grant.

Two of the projects have canal connections: the Black Country Urban Park and Sustrans' Connect2. (The other two are the Eden Project and Sherwood Forest.) So which should you vote for?

The Black Country bid promises "a package of improvements along five canals... making them integral extensions of the open spaces and parks which they pass alongside". In practice, this means three new bridges so local people can get to their canals more easily, and new visitor moorings in Wolverhampton. Meanwhile, the Dudley Tunnel complex will be extended by reopening the Seven Sisters mine and connecting tunnels: there's no suggestion that narrowboaters will be able to take their own craft in, but a new visitor centre will offer skippered boat trips.

The Sustrans scheme is the only national contender of the four. It comprises 79 schemes for new bridges and connections around Britain - and, happily, many of them are on waterways. These include a replacement for Riversdale Swingbridge on the Weaver, removing the first blockage to navigation on the Melton Mowbray Navigation,towpath improvements and access points on the Bridgewater, reopening the towpath of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal in Shrewsbury itself, access to the Chesterfield Canal towpath, Rochdale towpath improvements, a new bridge over the Regents Canal, a new bridge at Diglis Lock on the Severn, and (you guessed it) a new bridge over the Great Ouse at St Neots... plus a handful more.

Voting starts in ten days' time. If you're a Blackcountryman (or woman), you'll clearly be rooting for the Wolverhampton project: similarly, if you moor near any of the canals in Sustrans' plans (or support any of these restorations), you've probably already decided to give them your vote. What of the rest of us?

The Black Country scheme has the "big bang" appeal, and visitor moorings on the BCN are of course sorely needed. The Sustrans proposals, it's fair to say, will see more benefits to the waterway system as a whole with everywhere from London to the Rochdale Canal set to benefit. But with the Eden Project the undisputed front-runner, both projects need good support from waterway enthusiasts in order to have a chance of success.

It's a difficult decision. Happily, you don't have to choose. The voting guidelines will allow one vote from each phone number, and one from each e-mail address. So if you have a landline and a mobile phone, or home and work e-mail addresses, there's nothing stopping you for voting for both canal-related projects.

Falkirk Helix wins the Lottery

Falkirk is to get anotherout-of-the-ordinary canal link following the long-awaited Living Landmarks lottery award.

The Falkirk Helix project is one of three to share in a 70m jackpot. The scheme will see a new link built from the Forth & Clyde to the tidal Forth estuary - long seen as the biggest obstacle to encouraging more sea-going boats onto the Forth & Clyde Canal. An unusual 'Kelpie' sculpture, pictured, is part of the design.

The news, though, is bad luck for the Cotswold Canals. The restorers were hoping for a share of the lottery winnings to reconnect the canal at Stonehouse, currently under restoration, to the main system at Saul Junction. But although the scheme got through to the final shortlist, it was not one of the three winners. (The other two winners are regeneration schemes in Cornwall and Belfast.)

There is now just one Living Landmarks award to go - the top 50m prize, which will be decided by popular vote. Two canal-related projects are in with a chance: the Black Country Urban Park, which will reopen part of the Dudley Tunnel system, and Sustrans' Connect2, which will build new bridges over dozens of waterways. They are pitted against the Eden Project and Sherwood Forest.

We'll have a full report on the Falkirk scheme in January's WW.

Welcome to the Waterways World website

We're delighted to unveil Waterways World's long-awaited website.

Like every other magazine website, waterwaysworld.comhas details of what's in the current issue and how to subscribe - but we're aiming for the site to be a little bit more useful than that.

We'll be adding regular updates of what's new around the waterways world; selections from our photo archives; and commentary, both informative and light-hearted. We've also put the full WWindex online, listing 30,000 articles over 35 years. Converting the old paper-based index to a searchable database hasn't been without its hiccups and it still has the occasional discrepancy, but we're continuing to work on ironing these out.

Selectedarticles are available as PDF downloads and we'll be adding many more of these. And we're continuing to work on more features for the site, such as an online waterway map... but we hope you enjoy what's here so far. You can let us know what you think by sending an e-mail, or use the comments section below.

Picture of the day

Llangollen Canal, 1947: Heron and the Grundy family. Read more about their trip in the July issue of Waterways World.