Having offered the trip out to friends, a crew of three very unsalty sea dogs arrived at Countrywide Cruisers in Brewood, Stafford to broaden our horizons on our first ever foray along the towpaths of the Midlands.

It took just over an hour to swap the familiar streets of Nuneaton for the picturesque Shropshire Union Canal after a quick run down the M5 and along the A5.

After a further hour's basic instruction and a tour of our home for the next three days (rather cutely named Sir Fergus), we were off to a bracing start battling the somewhat chilly spring temperatures.

The boat itself was decked out in all you could ever need or indeed want for a real home away from home. There were two bedrooms - each with a double bed in, there was a cleverly laid out bathroom which spaciously housed a shower, sink and fully flushing loo, and then there was the galley - or fully fitted kitchen to you landlovers,as well as a plush seated dining area.

The actual steering of the boat proved fairly tough however to start with, although the concept itself is pretty simple. What you have to do is point the rudder towards the way the boat is heading. However, it doesn't pay to let your mind drift off. A moment of indecision or a minute spent looking at.the view can be very costly indeed. My own lapse in concentration cost us about an hour's travelling time as we worked to free the boat from the side of the canal using long poles and a life-saving reverse gear.

That said it was a real experience and one that none of us will forget for sometime to come.

After three days,we all seemed to get our sea legs a bit more - if that's the right expression, but then sadly it was time to hand it back over to the capable hands of Countrywide Cruisers for the next lot of holidaymakers to have a go. I would certainly recommend a barge trip, but would advise people to come in the summer. That said we went during the coldest spring in living memory which did make it a lot tougher when baring those essential hours outside the centrally heated warmth of the boat.

Another plus of the experience is the wealth of wildlife - particularly the birds with a brightly coloured teal managing to brighten our spirits after a particularly tiring day on the water.

The Shropshire Canal is blessed too with scores of good pubs ready to serve up a warm treat and a pint or two - the Hartley Arms in Wheaton a particularly nice place to thaw out.

Fellow narrowboat dwellers - be they on a permanent or temporary basis, were very friendly and helpful. And it's certainly a change to cruise around at four miles an hour - which amounts to a steady walking pace, instead of rushing around at full pelt as part of the 9 to 5 daily grind.