Afloat on birdsong, hawthorn petals and young leaves

WORDS once SPOKEN now CAPTURED

'I've Got Her Now' (Love and Hawthorn Blossom)
Boat Life Natural World (General) History (Personal)

'I've Got Her Now' (Love and Hawthorn Blossom)

June 12, 2022

This week has been one of extremes that encompasses the splendour of solitude and an onboard visit by three very enthusiastic police dogs (and a puppy)! Alongside all this, we took time to listen to some bats, watch the cygn…

Caught in a Rhyme
Boat Life History (Canals) Natural World (Birds) Readings

Caught in a Rhyme

June 5, 2022

On the week that the cygnets of our swan pair hatched, we explore the rather contradictory nature of the canal through the eyes of poets Jo Bell, Nancy Campbell, and Ian MacMillan. We find romance amidst the unromantic and b…

On Drying Days (Like This)
Boat Life History (Personal) Natural World (Birds)

On Drying Days (Like This)

May 29, 2022

May slowly rolls into June, but is summer really here? The towpaths and hedgerows are garlanded in summer colours and the ducks (and swans) are beginning to move into their time of eclipse. Some of the mallard drakes are beg…

The Colour of Water
Boat Life Natural World (General) Philosophy/reflective

The Colour of Water

May 22, 2022

I want to describe to you what I saw today, but I can't. We have so many words to describe and represent the most complex of concepts. Why then is it almost impossible to describe something so simple and ordinary as the colo…

When David Came (Cruising the Cut)
Boat Life

When David Came (Cruising the Cut)

May 15, 2022

The Greek myths tell us that there are times when the gods come down from Olympus to walk amongst mortals. We had a very similar experience when, on a sunny day in late March, David Johns came to visit us and record an episo…

'A Gypsy Love of Colour' (Painted Boats)
Boat Life History (Canals)

'A Gypsy Love of Colour' (Painted Boats)

May 1, 2022

Why are canal boats and traditional canal-ware so colourful? When did the custom of painting working boats in bright colours begin and why? This week we explore our attraction to bright colours and what Tom Rolt describes as…

Riding the Storm (Eunice)
Soundscapes, Boat Life Natural World (General)

Riding the Storm (Eunice)

Feb. 20, 2022

Snuggle up comfortably as you join us on the NB Erica for a wild night and day as we ride the storms Dudley and Eunice. The poems of Ted Hughes, Louis MacNeice, A.A. Milne, William Blake, and John Betjeman keep us company as…

Winter on the Moorings
Soundscapes, Boat Life Natural World (Birds)

Winter on the Moorings

Jan. 23, 2022

As we begin to enter the depths of winter, this episode celebrates with a soundscape of winter at the moorings that tries to capture the life and energy of this season. Journal entry : “18h January, Tuesday. A rich winter mo…

Echoes of Distant Memories
Boat Life Philosophy/reflective History (Personal)

Echoes of Distant Memories

Jan. 16, 2022

The remnants of two days of murk still cling to the hedgerows and trees as you join us tonight on the narrowboat Erica. A very slow thaw is polishing the dulled surface of the water making reflected lights once again dance w…

A Fireside Christmas Eve
Boat Life History (General) Christmas

A Fireside Christmas Eve

Dec. 24, 2021

Curl up with us for this very special Christmas Eve edition of the podcast. Whether you are feeling on your own or just in need of a bit of a breathing space, why not join me tonight for this special Jólabókaflóð inspired ed…

Episode Out of Time
Boat Life Natural World (General) Philosophy/reflective

Episode Out of Time

Nov. 14, 2021

Against all odds, this episode comes a little out of time! Events have conspired resulting in a slightly truncated episode recorded in the afternoon!! Nevertheless, duck chatter and babies (with a little help from John Moria…

Shipping Forecasts and Weather Logs
Boat Life Natural World (General) Radio Weather

Shipping Forecasts and Weather Logs

Oct. 10, 2021

When I meet people who listen to this podcast, one of the most frequently mentioned features is the inclusion of the weather log with which I end each episode. This week I talk about what inspired it, one of which is my chil…

Rook Ravaged Skies
Boat Life Natural World (Birds)

Rook Ravaged Skies

Oct. 3, 2021

This has been a week of blustery winds and storms. Perfect weather for the wild choreographies of the rooks jousting on the wind. The devil has spat upon the blackberries and we (rather hurriedly) mark our first birthday – t…

The Gongoozler and the Nomad
Boat Life Philosophy/reflective History (Canals)

The Gongoozler and the Nomad

Sept. 19, 2021

This week we catch up with news of our little swan family and explore the strange word ‘gongoozler’. What does it mean? Where does it come from? In some ways it functions as a shibboleth. Its use identifying the ‘true’ canal…

Shrewley Tunnel: Sailing dark waters
Soundscapes, Boat Life

Shrewley Tunnel: Sailing dark waters

Sept. 12, 2021

Join me tonight on a journey on the dark waters of Shrewley Tunnel. In this episode we travel not just through the tunnel but also through history and try to capture the life of those who worked the canals by physically 'leg…