WE'RE UNLOCKED
Canal Boat|September 2020
Stuart and Naila Laundy discover post-lockdown life and freedom
Stuart and Naila Laundy
WE'RE UNLOCKED

Having already lost one trip to the Covid-19 crisis, we struck it lucky when restrictions on hire boats were lifted just a week before we were due to head to Cheshire.

So how did we find post-lockdown life on the canals?

Top of the pre-holiday shopping list for our latest adventure along the canals was sanitiser, anti-bacterial wipes and those uncomfortable vinyl gloves that make your hands sweat within a minute of putting them on.

A word of introduction. My wife and I have been cruising the cut for a good number of years even though we live in the now-famous Barnard Castle (more of which later) and are a good distance from the nearest waterways.

In a normal year, we would book an early few days on the Leeds-Liverpool out of Skipton before heading further afield later in the summer to explore a new part of the network.

This is no normal year, of course, and our annual excursion into the Yorkshire Dales was an early casualty of theCovid-19 emergency and is now rescheduled for October.

We had fully expected our July trip, which had been booked back in January, to go the same way. I had even contacted the hire company to assure them we would reschedule and not cancel.

Then, low and behold, Boris gave the green light for the network in England to open up again to enthusiasts such as us the week before we were due to go. Happy days.

Both of us are key workers and, having carried on throughout the previous three months or so, it’s fair to say we were ready for the break.

Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Canal Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Canal Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CANAL BOATSe alt
HIGH AND MIGHTY
Canal Boat

HIGH AND MIGHTY

Acorns make the perfect store food for jays’ larders

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3 mins  |
November 2020
TAKING THE PLUNGE
Canal Boat

TAKING THE PLUNGE

Why Chris and Sarah Atkin will never forget tying the knot

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4 mins  |
November 2020
LABELLED WITH LOVE
Canal Boat

LABELLED WITH LOVE

Helen Tidy enjoyed one weekend moored next to The Beer Boat ... simply the perfect solution to collecting bottle tops for her next project

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5 mins  |
November 2020
MIDDLE THAMES
Canal Boat

MIDDLE THAMES

In the second part of our guide, we follow the Thames upstream from Reading through the steep sided Goring Gap and quieter countryide to reach Oxford

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5 mins  |
November 2020
THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Canal Boat

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Robert Davies recalls childhood memories of a popular holiday destination and uncovers a reminder of the golden age of canals

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10+ mins  |
November 2020
FIT FOR PURPOSE
Canal Boat

FIT FOR PURPOSE

Terry Hibbard from Harworth Heating offers his expert opinion following our feature on onboard stove safety

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3 mins  |
November 2020
BUCKING UP...
Canal Boat

BUCKING UP...

We join Waterway Recovery Group’s first canal restoration working party in six months - as WRG’s volunteers help the Buckingham Canal Society get the project back on track after lockdown

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10 mins  |
November 2020
ART ON THE WATER
Canal Boat

ART ON THE WATER

Graphic artist Katie Ruby lives and works on 32ft narrowboat Poppy

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2 mins  |
November 2020
Canal Boat

GO WITH THE FLOW

What makes a boat truly stand out from the crowd? Sometimes you just need a little finesse and a taste for adventure

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9 mins  |
November 2020
Canal Boat

A GLASS HALF-FULL AT BUCKBY WHARF

Tim Coghlan raised a glass on the Grand Union Canal as The New Inn reopened to the relief of regulars

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10 mins  |
November 2020