We were aware of a dreamlike quality to our trip. There was something far-fetched about it, something out of this world. Austerity might be getting everyone else down, but Steve is waving his worries goodbye on another of his light-hearted trips around the picturesque English waterways. This time it’s a bit different, though. This time he’s not just cruising with his cat, Kit, but with his long-suffering wife, Em, who’s given up work and wants her share of easy living too. They’ve rented out their home for the ups and downs of a life afloat, and there’s no going back now as they cruise from the historic River Thames, through the Midlands and westward into the hills of Wales, meeting a familiar cast of eccentrics and oddballs along the way, and experiencing one of the hottest summers of recent years. But how, after life in a four-bedroom house, do they manage to survive together squeezed into a space the size of a potting shed? Other books pretend to tell you about life afloat – this one shows you what it’s really like.

A fully revised and expanded edition of the only resource you'll need for choosing, owning and maintaining a narrowboat. The UK has over 2000 miles of navigable canals and rivers which are home to an estimated 35,000 licensed boats. Although canal boats can look much the same to the novice, there are some very important differences to be aware of. If you're new to boating you have some important choices to make. This comprehensive book examines the options available to different types of boaters. From those who choose to live aboard their boats and constant cruisers to fair-weather cruisers, hire boating and share boat syndicates – each will need a different type of boat if they are to fully enjoy their time afloat. Packed with case studies and advice from real boaters with years of experience to share, this second edition has been thoroughly updated throughout and includes new information on liveaboard costs and considerations, eco-friendly boating options, shared ownership and tax-free boat building, as well as: - The cost of boating - Choosing the ideal boat for your boating profile - Buying a boat and the legalities of purchase - Choosing suitable internal fittings and features - Heating, lighting, toilets and hot water options - Boat electrics and solar power - Finding a mooring - Boating health and safety - Locks, swing-bridges and the boating 'highway code' - Boat maintenance - Boating etiquette and best practice

Steve Haywood escaped the routine of his life in London for a voyage of discovery along England’s inland waterways, travelling by traditional narrowboat. With irrepressible humour he describes the history of the canals, the characters he meets along the way, and the magic that makes England’s waterways so appealing.

An accessible introduction to Britain's Canals and why they are so important today as a leisure pursuit.

For centuries, living afloat on Britain's waterways has been a rich part of the fabric of our social history, from the fisherfolk of ancient Britain to the bohemian houseboat dwellers of the 1950s and beyond. Whether they have chosen to leave the land behind and take to the water or been driven there by necessity, the history of the houseboat is a unique and fascinating seam of British history. In Water Gypsies, Julian Dutton – who was born and grew up on a houseboat – traces the evolution of boat-dwelling, from an industrial phenomenon in the heyday of the canals to the rise of life afloat as an alternative lifestyle in postwar Britain. Drawing on personal accounts and with a beautiful collection of illustrations, Water Gypsies is both a vivid narrative of a unique way of life and a valuable addition to social history.