Nestling near the weekly report on the price of the average British gnome, see . . . .
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/outdoors/6128480/Cool-canal-authors-take-the-slow-boat.html bijou snippette >> The National Waterways Museums, split between three different locations, celebrate the enterprise, ingenuity and sheer elbow grease that made British canals the envy of the world. They may seem idyllic, meandering through green fields, but they connect us to a working world, industrial rather than pastoral. To say that British canals are booming would be an exaggeration, the kind of hype that is completely alien to canal folk, who are a gentle, soft-spoken tribe. But they are certainly enjoying a modest renaissance. After years when their decline seemed a historic inevitability, they appear to have regained their niche in public affection. It used to be mainly middle-aged men you saw at the helm of narrowboats: Horatio Nelson manqués, barking instructions at bedraggled wives called Hester or Gloria. But the young are also discovering the joys of canals. Little by little, it has become a more inclusive world, where all are welcome and nobody looks down on anyone else. << end Read the whole thing and contrast with the lock queues & financial realities - OK there are some references to tight funding in the piece. I don't know who else has seen the graphic liveries on the latest BW vans imploring everybody to enjoy the leisure facilities provided by the local waterways. I have so far resisted the temptation to graffitize with " Don't worry it's free - a boater will pay" Beeky [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
