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33 | 38 | Jan | content/canals-1965-and-1967 | Canal Holidays in the UK 1965 and 1967 | article | 65f9d3fd-c0f1-4940-96bf-b1497abbee9f |
It is 1965 and I am Fifteen (This is a fictional but memory based composite story of both holidays written during a creative writing course)
I have a favourite jumper: navy blue with narrow white stripes around the bottom edge, baggy enough to pull down over my knees as I sit on the roof of the canal boat. Underneath I'm wearing denim jeans with frayed bell bottoms, the latest fashion. As I sit with my knees tucked up under my jumper I continue the fraying process. The boat chugs serenely down the canal, Dad and Uncle Gordon are taking turns at the helm; I'm oblivious to what other family members are doing. It's summertime so naturally it's raining, well drizzling really, but I'm still crouched here pulling threads; all this calm and quiet is a bit boring for a 15 year old. Rufus, the dog, is also bored but dealing with it in a different way, pacing up and down the deck, what there is of it. He has already fallen in once, we had to moor up and drag him up the bank by his collar, a soggy bundle of black fur, but it did relieve the tedium for a moment.
My Dad is on leave in the UK and we are taking a holiday with my cousins (on my Mum's side), on a canal boat somewhere in Oxfordshire. Nine of us and a scatty black labrador. My brother and sister and two cousins are much younger than me so no company for me at all. I have to admit though that the countryside is fascinating, so green compared to Kenya, and the only wild animals are cows. I've never seen a canal before, the boats have to be really narrow and even then passing can be a tight squeeze. We move along at snails pace so I can can take in everything that's happening around me, not much in fact. Actually the locks are fun. We all jump off and run up the tow path to the lock or watch Dad and Gordon wrestling with ropes and bumping the boat through the narrow opening; we all try to help – by holding the rope to keep the boat still while its in the lock. We help the lock keeper push the gates closed then he turns the handle opening the sluices to let water in or out. Its a race then to get back on board before the boat leaves the lock. Sometimes there are several locks, one after another and then we're all exhausted. Next week we'll be on the river, I wonder what that'll be like.
The Thames is huge compared to the canal and there are lots of boats – more like proper boats than our narrow boat and much more manoeuvrable, they're everywhere, moored up on the river bank or buzzing up and down. So much activity compared to the calm of the canal; the sun may be shining now, but I'm not taking my jumper off – its not as warm as I'm used to. There don't seem to be many locks on the river but there are lots of towns and villages, more interesting places to stop.
Its early in the morning and we've been moored up overnight close to a lovely green grassy area with trees, I am taking a break from fraying my jeans and eating some breakfast. My brother Mike and my cousin Martin have taken Rufus for a run ashore. All of a sudden Mike comes running back towards the boat shouting for help, he seems really frightened and agitated. “What's happened?” we cry in unison. “Mart has fallen out of the tree, he's hurt badly”. We all hurry after him, following the sound of Martin's howls. Luckily its not too far as the poor boy has broken his arm. Well, we didn't know that right away but a few hours later and following a ride in an ambulance my aunt and uncle returned with Martin proudly clutching a freshly plastered arm encased in a sling.
Later that day, when everyone has calmed down, we resume our journey down the river for an uneventful few days till we return to our cousins' home in Beckenham. Next week we'll be travelling north to my Granny's house in county Durham.
(PS I have made it sound a bit boring but actually it was great fun!)
Here are three cine films of the adventure as well.
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on the narrowboat, part 1. Gordon, Irene, Martin and Paula - and Rufus with the Stokoes - Stan, Muriel (never seen with as she is always behind the camera) with Jan, Mike and Kathy (2.08 min)
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on the narrowboat, part 1. Gordon, Irene, Martin and Paula - and Rufus with the Stokoes - Stan, Muriel (never seen with as she is always behind the camera) with Jan, Mike and Kathy (2.08 min)
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Same holiday part 2 (2.13)
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Same holiday part 2 (2.13)
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Two years later, same people but on a river boat this time
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Two years later, same people but on a river boat this time
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