Seasonal Episodes

A welcome breeze plays among the reeds and carves ripples on the canal. Tonight, the Erica is moored on a perfect summer’s night. We welcome you to join us as enjoy the quiet and go searching for older attitudes to summer, the shifting dates of Midsummer's Eve, and just why Midsummer Night’s Dream was so unsummery.

As the heat begins to settle, join us tonight on the narrowboat Erica as we enjoy that special time of a summer’s day, when evening falls and cool breezes ripple the water’s surface. The heat and work pressures have meant that tonight we are freewheeling a little. We also take a peak out of The Land of Green Ginger's window. Settle back in the cool and enjoy a gentle ride to wherever. Journal entry: 24th June, Wednesday “Back from a hot city In a hot field ...

Join us on a noisy and stormy night of high winds at the tail-end of winter as we contemplate the messiness of these between times the lie at the edges of the seasons. In a world used to binaries, these times can feel messy, frustrating and even unsettling. The old idea of ‘borrowing days’ helps us to navigate these ‘untidy’ seasonal borders in a different way. Journal entry: 30th March, Monday “Sometimes, The canal is silent Biding time Keeping counsel. Don't ask Let ...

The temperature is dropping and it looks like a frosty night is ahead of us. So, why not join us in the Erica’s cosy cabin as we contemplate the coming of spring, the therapeutic and philosophical aspects of planting seeds, and joy of sunshine on your shoulders. Journal entry: 19th March, Thursday “On Horse Hill The light scrubbed clean By the sharpness of frost Two rooks harry a buzzard pair Who fly on wings Of feathered nonchalance.” Episode In...

This year, the Bita kaulo munthos (the little dark month) has brought with it yet more rain. This time of year can be a hard time. Mid-winter; the time of lambing, Imbolc and the Cailleach. Strung halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox, Imbolc heralds the mid-point of what for many seems to be turning out to be a very hard winter. Join us tonight around our fire as we contemplate how this time can help to prepare us for the uncertainties of the coming year. &n...

The failure of the Whitchurch embankment offered sobering viewing for those on and off the canal. This episode responds to listeners’ concerns and questions and then reflects on the wider implication of incidents like these on the future of life on the canals. *Spoiler -it is not all doom and gloom!* Journal entry: 6th January, Tuesday “Colder night But slightly milder dawn A few desultory snowflakes fall Flightless feathers With no wind Upon which to dance Will these small fla...

It's Christmas on the canal, and the time when we traditionally gather around by firelight and tell stories of wonder and magic. So, tonight, there is an extra specially warm welcome aboard the Erica as we turn the lights down low and listen by firelight to a rather remarkable (and I think wonderful) tale of canal-side Christmases past and the magic hidden along the towpath. Grab a mug of your favourite drink, settle into your cosiest chair and join us into the heart of a canal...

As advent candles burn into their second half, and berries blaze along the towpath, why not join us tonight aboard the Erica to hear about what it feels like to experience this advent on the cut. Journal entry: 8th December, Monday “A ragged river of rooks Stream across A watery sky On purposeful wings. They rise and circle Around the One Oak. The fire of their Jubilant chatter Warms the day.” With special thanks to our lock-wheel...

Welcome to Halloween on the canal. It’s a perfect night to turn down the lights, curl up in comfy chair with a warm mug, and listen to a spooky tale. Can anyone explain what really did happen on that celebrated (or notorious) section of canalat Morton’s Rise under the glowering presence of Draid Hill? Join us for this very special Halloween edition of Nighttime on Still Waters. Journal entry: 31st October, Friday (All Hallows’ Eve) “The day grows thin Between light and darkness Heron spanned Silent as owl flight The canal ...

Send us a text Along the towpath winter slowly fades. If we are not quite in spring yet, we can feel it close at hand. Join us tonight as we celebrate the shifts in light and tone across the landscape and from deep within in the company of Idris Davies, Frankk Mansell, and Kenneth Grahame. Journal entry: 26th February, Wednesday “For me, there are few things more beautiful and soul inspiring than this: Rain on water, Old growth by the waterside, Time-bleached reeds Standing like Nepales...

Send us a text I am probably not the only one feeling a little disoriented and uncertain about what the upcoming year will hold. While it is great to have plans and dreams, these are not always possible and sometimes, I think, not even desirable. There are times for wisdom to be silent and for the 'undreaming' to occur before we can begin to discover new music and new dances. Journal entry: 1st January, Wednesday “A dawn of tobacco and salmon And racing clouds. A solitary raven rows ...

This episode was inspired by a sentence in Beth Kempton's Wabi Sabi and explores how calendars can connect us more closely to the world around us. Join us tonight as we explore the year through the eyes of some Japanese poets and celebrate the unfolding of the summer. Journal entry: 25th June, Tuesday “First day this summer Of real heat. All day, my shirt has stuck To my back. This evening The clover field Hums with The work of bees.” Episode Information: The fire of purple lo...

You are invited to join us for a very special episode as we celebrate Christmas Eve onboard the Erica and remember the Christmas Eves of our childhood. Journal entry: 21st December, Thursday, Winter Solstice “The year’s turning And the longest night. There’s a rough wind And angry skies. The polestar oak Finally felled. The ducks don’t seem To notice." Episode Information: Christmas lights in the well deck Can I take this opportunity to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and...

These are the days when the nights are short and the days are long. On the cusp of the summer solstice, the year's turning reaches its zenith, join me tonight in celebrating the unique joys (and challenges) of the long days with a special visit to Windmill Hill (Grid reference SP 33 42). Journal entry: 14th June, Wednesday “Sun down. A lone swan swims up the canal. Serene strokes from strong feet. Each ripple she makes catches fire. The goldcrests’ chatter falls silent And the bank-side...

This week the first proper snow of the winter fell. For a while, our world was transformed. If you love snow, a boat is the perfect place to enjoy it. If you hate snow, a boat is the perfect place to escape it! Journal entry: “29th January Friday. The last couple of mornings have smelt fresh. The trees bordering the canal sharp with bird song, not just the aural darts of warning calls but flowing rivers of melody entwined on the wind. Below our feet, last summer’s oak leaves swim the flooded...

For most people, 2020 has been a stressful year of frustration, disappointment, fear and anxiety. It is not surprising that we look forward to welcoming in 2021. Join me on Narrowboat 506812 as we reflect on the significance of new beginnings (no matter how arbitrary), and the importance of having opportunities to re-evaluate and reset our lives. Journal entry: “New Year’s Eve, 31st December Thursday. Another frosty and icy start. This morning, in the dark as I got off the boat, I heard the i...

A chance to say to you Merry Christmas. This episode celebrates a Christmas Eve that is different and yet, in a number of important ways very similar to those our ancestors experienced. Journal entry: “Christmas Eve 24th December, Thursday. Last night’s storms have swept the sky clear. The on-coming tide of sunlight washes the eastern horizon the colour of blood oranges. This morning was the first morning this winter I have really needed gloves. The boat is a haven of warmth when we return. ...