Drifters is a consortium of the best holiday boat companies. Log onto www.drifters.co.uk or telephone 08457 626252.
Find great ideas for enjoying the waterways on www.waterscape.com. Visit the waterways museums website—www.waterwaystrust.org.uk. Black Prince Holidays, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4LA; telephone 01527 575115,
fax 01527 575116,
e-mail BHolidays@aol.com;
website www.black-prince.com
Prices for short breaks range from £70 per person.
| Chris Wiltshire and family embark on a short break on Britain's waterways for easy escapism—and not so easy manoeuvering… | CANAL CAPERS You'll just have to go down to the next pub, push her hard into the bank and swing her around. She should just make it. |
For a young lady with such slow, graceful moves and elegant looks, Emma's manner was positively stubborn. She may have cruised down the waterways like a model sashaying along a catwalk, but there was far more Maggie Thatcher about her than Claudia Schiffer. 'You turn if you want to' you could hear her calling out, 'the lady's not for turning.' And turn she would not. Three times we tried to coax her into an about-turn and each time we had to give up. Young Emma, all 60 magnificent feet of her, was simply too big to do a pirouette. So on we motored through lock after lock, inching our way through the Stoke on Trent countryside hoping to find a wide stretch of canal. We could happily have gone on for days, but our three-day jaunt had already reached the half-way point and time was running out. "Excuse me, how do you turn these beauties around?" I cried out to a fellow sailor, cringing with embarrassment at my feeble inadequacies. "You'll have to go down to the next pub, push her hard into the bank and swing her around," he replied. "She should just about make it." He wasn't joking. Emma's bow eased past the opposite bank with millimetres to spare, bringing whoops of joy from our own aptly named Emma and her brother James. Trying to manoeuvre 'big' Emma through the narrow locks without a bump had been interesting, but turning her around was a real challenge. The relief in the Wiltshire camp was tangible. More bacon butties and hot coffee were called for in celebration as we made our way back up through the Trent and Mersey Canal, admiring the historical landmarks along the way. There are a few subtle words of advice whenever you book on one of the Black Prince Holidays. 'Don't forget to bring your smiles and your sense of humour,' it says in the welcoming letter. 'And don't worry if you make a complete prat of yourself,' it should have added. As a boating holiday novice my main concern was trying to prevent any of the crew from falling into the water and. secondly, avoiding any nasty scrapes and bumps to the hull. Black Prince clearly take a great pride in how their boats shape up and I was determined to keep ours in pristine condition. |
For anyone who has not tried a narrow boat holiday, there are many similarities with caravanning. With space at a premium, eating and sleeping quarters are kept to a minimum and storage space is found in the most unusual places. But unlike the caravans that I went in as a boy, there is full central heating, plush carpets throughout and even an airing cupboard.
With four of us in tow, we settled for the Duchess 4:2. although Black Prince have a huge range to choose from, going up to the 10-berth, 70-foot Countess 8:5 - although the thought of trying to turn that baby around fills me with dread. The big difference over mobile caravans, apart from the extra creature comforts, is the ability to set off at a moment's notice. You just untie the rope at the moorings and set off, leaving everyone to their own devices. Canal holidays are also perfect for families with grown-up children. Our two thoroughly enjoyed opening and shutting the locks, while James was constantly on the lookout for suitable spots in which to cast his fishing line. It is also an ideal antidote to the stresses and strains of working life. With a top speed of 4mph, canal boats force you to unwind as there is no way of passing through locks in a hurry. One retired couple we met had enjoyed their canal holidays so much they had sold their Midlands home and were cruising around the English and Welsh countryside, while spending the winter months abroad. It had taken them two weeks to travel from Stoke to our home city of York. passing through glorious countryside en route. It seemed a wonderful way to pass the years, to see the best this country has to offer and to meet interesting people along the way. I may not be ready for that just yet, but at least I now know how to turn one of these boats around. | "An ideal antidote to the stresses and
strains of working life. With a top speed of
4mph, canal boats force you to unwind. One retired couple we met had enjoyed their
canal holidays so much they had sold their
Midlands home and were cruising around the
English and Welsh countryside."
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