A potted history
I have been interested in canals since 1963. I am just old enough to remember working boats. By spending hours of my employers time looking over literally hundreds of canal bridges I have seen narrowboats on the Grand Union, coal boats on the Leeds and Liverpool, short boats boats on the Aire and Calder, Day boats in Birmingham and a horse boat near Oldbury. In the past I have loaded steel from the Round Oak Steelworks ( Black Country) into small boats on the River Trent at both Gunness and Flixborough Wharves. Present day experience of working boats has usually meant meeting a coal boat or tanker at the narrowest part of the canal mainly in the Ferrybridge area. Our first real venture on the canal was in 1970 when we took a holiday on the Staffordshire and Worcester at Penkridge. This was to be the forerunner of many very happy canal holidays. Later we did our bit by attending very enjoyable weekend 'Digs' in Droitwich, Foxton,and Malton, North Yorkshire. Four one week holidays were spent with canal groups around the Wolverhampton area. Probably our favourite experience has been introducing people to the wonderful world of the canals. Lately we have been lucky enough to acquire our own boat.
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Alan
and Maggie.